


Sans's Mistake: A Blessing and a Curse

by KittyCatBitTheRat



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Battle Scenes, Gillby goes ooc, Grillby is not currently married, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, If there any tags I should add here let me know, It doesn't have a name and I just kind of came up with this, Memories, Multi, Nightmares, POV changes each chapter, Resets, Sans Remembers Resets, Will Grillby Remember Resets?, thats literally the plot right there, this is AU I guess?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-09-26 03:01:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9859160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyCatBitTheRat/pseuds/KittyCatBitTheRat
Summary: Sans decided he wants to try something different after an interesting encounter with the ever unchanging character that is Grillby. What he didn't realize was that he changed the game. What will happen to the timelines? What will happen to Grillby? Will Sans still be the only monster in the underground who will remember the resets? Could Grillby be the necessary element to help end Chara's reign?





	1. How About A Story?

**Author's Note:**

> Not my first fanfic, but it is my first time writing on this site (also has been a while since I wrote any fanfiction). This is definitely gonna have some cannon elements since this is based off the many endings of the Undertale. Of course, there will be differences, and I'm not sure if I should just consider it an AU of it's own. This will definitely have a couple chapters... or many chapters... I have to see how far this goes. If anyone has suggestions for tags, please let me know. I also don't have a Tumblr right now, but depending on how this goes I'll probably start one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grillby's POV

             Hm… He’s late… This is not like him. Sans is never late for his lunch, even if he only had been eating here about an hour ago. Perhaps it’s good he isn’t here right now. It most likely means he is still at work. Even if he is sleeping, it’s better to know he is actually at his job instead of skipping out… Though, it’s always nice to have him around.

            The pile of polished glasses reflect the constant orange glow illuminating off my body, flicking around just a little faster than my liking. Why am I so anxious when I know that skeleton is coming to my shop? I feel like a teenager when I’m like this, and it’s quite embarrassing… It’s a good thing most monsters these days don’t seem to really know how flames like mine work. It’s no surprise, seeing as there aren’t as many of us around… As of what I’m aware of now, only my daughter, Fuku, and I willingly live here in Snowdin while the rest are back in Hotlands.

            The familiar jingle of the bell when the front door opens brings yet another false alarm. When I turn around, all I see is Jerry walking right back in, a crisp wind blowing in behind him. The squeaks of the glass under a polishing rag ring through the bar a little quicker. If it wasn’t for the fact that Jerry was a regular, I might have kicked him out. He is constantly walking in and out the bar, seeming as if he couldn’t just sit around for more than five minutes of his life. It’s cold outside! I’d much rather keep my flames from faltering so often in one day.

            No matter how hard I try to get used to it, I can’t bring myself to settle with this cold. If I could bring myself to live in Hotlans again, I would. Fuku could go back if she so pleased, but there was no way I was going back to Hotlands without a reason seemingly more pressing than some snow and cold winds. Even Waterfall would make a better home… Hotlands could never be a good enough home… Not without…

            There is no time to think about such simple times as that. Especially while the friendly face I’ve been waiting for has begun to walk his way to his… Who is that?

            “here, get comfy.” Sans gestures to the… what looks like a human? No… It couldn’t be a human if everyone else is so calm. The canine unit is even here and they don’t seem to be bothered in the slightest.

            “hey, that sounds pretty good. grillby, we’ll have a double order of fries.” Sans kept his usual grin, entertaining this new friend. So stuck in my thoughts, I’ve probably missed his greeting. He usually starts with a pun before his order.

            With a nod, I hurry off into the back. Without anyone else to help, I have to do everything here. Not that it’s all that hard since most days the bar isn’t actually full… Thinking back to my father’s bar, the first Grillby’s, it would be rather nice to have a staff and a larger base of customers, but the small crowd of regular customers is still nicer than having the large crowd of consistently new people. Less bar fights, less drama, and better friendships.

            The sizzle of the fries coupled with the thought of the first Grillby’s brings back memories I usually try not to dwell on. Memories of… better days? Could I consider them better days? I guess, despite the change in location, style, and menu, I still managed to end up much like my father. While I may not talk nearly as much, I certainly still managed to have my own skeleton to wait on every day. My father’s skeleton, whose name I can’t quite place… G-something? ‘G’ had spoken to my father in some odd language most times. Hands, was it? It was odd, hearing such a font. Fonts were mostly a skeleton trait, Hands being a font that died out as the skeletal population decreased.

Now thinking about it, we elemental monsters had a rather close relationship to skeletons, especially after the war. While I’ve obviously seen more elemental monsters in my life, I’ve only met three skeletons in person. I can’t seem to remember the face of my father’s friend, parts of my past much like a blur, but I do remember those holes in his hands that appeared randomly one day. My father was rather upset, yelling about how G would kill himself one day for doing something so crazy. I could only wonder what he could have possibly been doing that could hurt him so much as well as get my father so riled up. I don’t think father actually ever got to hear from G about what he was working on.

            I chuckle to myself, adding the fries to their respective baskets. Father did seem to have a fondness for G. Perhaps… No, I should stop dwelling on it now. Such a relationship is no longer important once one’s, well, flame has burnt out, so to speak. I stroll out with the fries, Sans having caught my movements from the corner of his eyes.

            “here comes the grub.” Sans spoke with a bit of a sigh. Something is bothering him. I would ask him if his friend hadn’t come by… I wouldn’t want to disrupt their time after all.

            Going back to yet another glass, I listen in as usual. Sans spoke about his brother, as per usual. He is always worried for his little brother. He wouldn’t be working as hard as he does otherwise. Sure, he seems like he’s lazy because he takes advantage of the workers laws here in the underground, but he still seems to work harder than most take notice. For one, no one seems to ever bring to question how a skeleton would end up with bags under his eyes. Sure, the answer for most monster biology is magic or the lack thereof, but it always seemed just a little off. Of course, we’ve gone through that conversation already.

            Sans’s continuous work is why he is allowed a tab… While I badger him about when he is going to pay it, I do tend to have to remind myself that perhaps it’s worth keeping it open. Though, I can’t help the feeling that the both of us would be dusted before he ever gets to pay. Heh, if there is a world beyond our own, our post-dust souls will meet and I’d certainly make sure to badger him then. It certainly would be funny.

            “welp, that was a long break. i can’t believe i let you pull me away from work for that long. oh, by the way… i’m flat broke. can you foot the bill?” Sans pressed his friend, “just kidding. grillby, put it on my tab.”

            With that, he was off in a hurry. No time to waste when someone could be on their way to check in on sentry duty. Especially if Papyrus might be there. Then again, the younger skeleton is probably off to training at this point. While it’s admirable to see such a young, aspiring monster, no one in the underground seems to really think he should be in the Royal Guard. Sometimes preserving the innocent is the best thing to do. There are certainly many other jobs he could talk on. Perhaps, if his cooking were to get any better, he could work here. It would give him something to do, and it would be one way to get his brother’s tab paid for.

            The patrons in the bar buzzed as Sans’s friend seem to speak to each of them… Well, not necessarily speaking. Everyone seems to just understand their hand gestures. Certainly many of us know _what_ sign language, but not many monsters truly know or understand it, especially those who don’t have arms or hands to begin with.

This new character is rather adorable, yet bold for a child. There is only one kid in this town that is as bold, albeit much clumsier and more naive. Thinking back, Fuku was rather shy at such an age. She is still shy now, but she speaks much more now than ever before.

            “Their pretty nice for a human, huh?” Red chirped a little, handing an empty glass to me. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t even realize that the child was gone.  

            I almost drop the glass in my shock, “So, they really are a human?”

            “Yeah, it’s been all the buzz today. Even Jerry seemed to get some respect from them. It’s too bad they’re going to end up being the last soul needed to set us free. Sure, we will get our own freedom, but we have never seen such innocence as that.”

            “Hey, who knows? The king is such a softy he might let them be. Sure, he has six souls already and this would be the last we need, but even he should know when to give mercy, right? Plus, the kid acts so much like…” Ugly Fish trailed off, “Maybe I’m speaking a little out of line…”

            The three of us went silent. We all remember just who Fish is talking about. Despite all the stories made for the kids, most of us monsters still mourn the death of the prince. That was, after all, what started this hunt for humans to begin with. The separation of the royal family, the disappearance of the queen, the replacement of the royal scientist… it all happen so very quickly. No one truly knows what happen to the prince and that royal human, but no one questions it anymore.

            The bar resumed its usual silence saved for the small talk of the canine unit and the music on the jukebox. Red Bird received their refill, my hands back to polishing the glasses. I glance up at the clock again. Sans should be back in another hour.

 

* * *

 

 

            I sigh, flipping the sign on the door to ‘closed’. The bar was empty of all the patrons, the jukebox no longer playing and most of the light being supported from my own body. However, I wasn’t alone.

            “so Grillby, penny for you thoughts? What’s keeping that flame on your head lit so high?” Sans leaned back in his stool, arms against the side of the bar counter. His ever permanent grin seemed just a bit larger than normal.

            “I… I’m rather surprised to know that a human is here… Especially one that is seeming to be so beloved by all of the other monsters.” I return to my spot behind the counter, stacking up polished glasses in their respective places.

            “yeah, i’m pretty surprised myself. the kid’s a real charmer.” Sans’s eyes never seem to leave my back as he readjusted himself. He understood my flames better than anyone else… It’s nice yet it feels dangerous. I couldn’t hide much of my emotions from him.

            Not that I want to hide much to begin with.

            “Hm…” I turned back to him, “Well, I figured perhaps your brother would have captured the human, but I see he befriended them instead. I suppose it’s nice, but wouldn’t he be giving his hopes up doing such a thing?”

            “you mean… since the human is most likely going to have their soul taken away?” Sans sighed, taking my nod as my answer, “yeah, I guess… even if it’s going to be for a small time… I would say it’s worth it. at least he can have someone to keep him happy…”

            I frown, leaning on the counter, “Sans… You keep him happy too…” I already knew where this was going. He always seem to go down this self-loathing path, especially when talking about his brother… One would think that speaking about someone so close would bring more happiness than sadness. I always hated the way Sans would just dwell on what he considered the bad aspects of himself.

            Sans was silent for a moment. I was going to say something more to try to fill the awkwardness, but he suddenly chuckled. It was a little darker than usual, “no matter how many times we repeat these nights you never seem to change…”

            “Hm? Repeat? If you mean all those nights you’d stay late, then I would have to say the same to you, too. ”

            That seemed to catch Sans off guard, “uh… yeah…”

            Did… Sans not want me to hear what he said before? “San—“

            “So, Grillbz, how is Fuku doing? it’s been some time since i’ve seen her here.”

            Sighing, I decided to follow his change in subject. “Fuku is doing well. She is now old enough to go on her own. She tends to go down to Waterfall, though she goes to Hotlands to visit some friends.”

            “Waterfall? that’s surprising. i’ve seen her pass by my sentry station, but i figured she would be going to Hotlands… testing her own strengths, huh? she's becoming pretty brave. she said she wanted to be a scientist or something, right?”

            I nod, smiling softly. “Yes… She even took up learning Hands. She wants to know several different languages so she can better read different research without the confusion some translations can cause. It’s rather admirable to see someone so young trying so hard.”

            Sans’s eyes went blank for a moment, his head slightly down. I most certainly wasn’t expecting that reaction… What’s got him so shaken up?

            “Sans?” I placed a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention back.

            “sorry… i was just thinking… she should try to _douse_ some of her flames there… learning multiple languages are good, but Hands is no longer _handy_ at this point. if she kept her focus on something like that, she’d have a hard time _ketchup-_ ing to the rest of the scientists.”

            Those puns were bad, even for Sans. “Sans… Is there something on your mind? Perhaps something you may want to talk about? You don’t quite seem like yourself tonight.”

            “… maybe we should just get back home. i’m sure Fuku is waiting for you, and Paps is waiting for me, too.” Despite his words, Sans didn’t seem to want to move from his spot.

            I walked around the counter, “Fuku has keys to the house, and you mentioned during one of your earlier breaks that Papyrus was staying in Waterfall for late night training, correct?”

            “…”

            “I’m here for you, Sans… You know I am always open to listen to you… Sometimes you need to just talk it out.” I took a seat next to the skeleton, pushing a bottle of ketchup his way.

            “i guess it wouldn’t matter… you’d never remember it anyways.” Sans sips from the bottle, staring at the mirror across from him where all the glasses were stacked.

            I leaned my head against the palm of my hands, watching him. I’ve decided to let my flames move more freely, hoping Sans would follow suit and loosen up a little as well. It would be better not to question what he just said, and give him his moment.

            “… every time this world resets the story changes in some way or another… yet, every time we talk you seem to always be the same. you’re always there for me, always giving me the same pep talks and words of courage… i so badly want to be able to do the same for you, but it’s never that easy… not when I remember everything that has happen before… i don’t know what it is about you, but i could never get myself to stay away from here… from losing this attachment. you’re pretty special Grillbz… i feel like i should stay away because it might just be for the better. i burden you enough, and now i’m doing it repeatedly. i walk in, eat, and leave without much else changing. then i say these later hours, keeping you from going home and simply telling you about my experiences. i know full well you’d never understand and that it’s like i’m simply using you for your food and your time. if things were different… if time would never jump back… maybe i’d do more.”

            “…” I didn’t want to say anything as he continued. I know very well that Sans isn’t drunk himself, so whatever it was that he was stating must have some truth to it… I don’t get why I couldn’t remember these ‘resets’ if Sans could, but it probably has to do with something I would never begin to understand… I often feel a slight bit of déjà vu, which sounds a little like what Sans is going through, but with much less vividness. Perhaps it has something to do with his nightmares? Ever since we first met he was getting those nightmare that seemed to just stick with him… Plus, being in the underground makes it hard to really grasp reality sometimes.

            “…” Sans waved a hand in my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. I hadn’t even noticed he stopped talking, and now I feel kind of back. He’s looking at me as if waiting for a comment.

            “Sans, about those resets. You mentioned that, with me, they were the same ever time… How so?”

            “huh? oh, well… you’re not one for talking much in these situations… you would always seem to just understand what i‘m feeling, but never why… you’d sit back and listen to me talk the night away until it’s too late to continue…” Sans shrugged, his head plopping down on the counter.

            “Hmm… That does sound like what I would do… Perhaps we can treat this moment differently?”

            “is it just me, or is it getting a little _hot_ in here?” Sans smirked, fanning himself down.

            “Oh hush, Sans. I was just thinking that maybe I should tell a story for once. Since I don’t talk too often, it may be a refreshing change. I’ve found myself thinking back to the past quiet a bit as of recent… I’ll talk about the time when I used to work at my father’s bar… before we met in Hotlands.”

            Sans simply stared back at me, more interest in his eyes than I’ve ever seen before.

            “Hm… Where to start? Well, I’m not sure if you remember my father all that well since you only saw him a handful of times… Assuming those times haven’t repeated for you, too. He was once a soldier in the war. He was fairly close to the king… I’m sure if he was here now he would have possibly joined the Royal Guard himself. He was very popular, so plenty of people would visit his bar, but they usually weren’t regular customers. Despite that, he had one particular friend that was the closest to a regular customer… Just like you, my father’s friend was also a skeleton…”

 

* * *

 

 

_“Junior! Where are you! We have another order I need you to take care of! This is the last order for the day before we close the restaurant!” Father called, rather agitated. I already knew what was making him angry just by the way his flames splayed out from the top of his head._

_“I’m sorry father. I was just taking out the trash.” I walk in from the back door and straight to put my gloves away. “Has that scientist not come yet?”_

_“No, of course he hasn’t. It’s been two days. He probably won’t be back for the rest of the week! He isn’t even returning my calls!” He shoved the receipt into my chest, his flames growing a darker shade of orange-red._

_“I’m sure he is fine father,” I sigh, pushing up my glasses, “Why don’t you just go to the labs and try to visit him? He would be working on overtime by the time the bar closes. I can just clean and lock up for you.”_

_“No… He would be upset if I went over there and disturbed his work…Plus, it’s not my business if he’s busy or not… He’s just a customer.”_

_I looked up at him from my position at the kitchen counter, “You don’t have to be like that. He really is a friend to you, and you to him. At least… send over some food in case he isn’t eating. He is rather thin for a skeleton. Plus, aren’t some of his bones cracked? Isn’t that… I don’t know, dehydration or something?”_

_“I… I suppose there is some food here that will go to waste if it isn’t eaten soon. You can package that for him on yo—“_

_The kitchen door opened, one of the waiters peaking in. “Sir… a man by the name of G_ _aster_ _said he has come by the see you. He wishes to talk in here. Is this okay?”_

_“In here? Fine, let him in.” There was a flash of worry as his flames lighten up in color. Father really was more emotional than he liked to believe._

_I was cooking over the stove, using some of my fire elemental magic, when that tall skeleton walked in. It seemed fine at first. My father and G bantered back and forth for a while. Father was annoyed and told G off with a huff in every word. There was even the occasional flex in his arms when he’d clench his fist. He seemed to simmer down once he got his words out, his glow dimmer and his flames calmer. That was… until G’s hands came into view._

_“G_ _____ _! What happen to your hands?!” My father held the two hands palm-side up before G could shove them back in the pockets of his lab coat. That skeleton never seemed to part with that coat._

_I remember getting a peek at those hands after bringing the last order to the window… They weren’t like the skeleton drawings I’ve seen before. The portion between the fingers and the wrist was just one solid block… Now there was a large hole in each of them, which seemed rather painful if the rim of purple magic around it was anything to go by. G’s composure seemed to be breaking as well. G wasn’t one for showing emotions other than anger… At least, that’s all I’d seen from him prior to that night. While I don’t quite remember what his face looked like, I do remember him slightly curling his body inward, losing some of his height. He was taller than my father, but it was that moment that my father was actually on the taller side. G’s voice was deeper, wobblier, as he seemed to try to explain himself… or so I assume._

_Cutting G off, my father’s voice boomed loud enough that patrons by the bar may have been able to hear him over the music. “G_ _____ _! You’re going to kill yourself! I don’t care what your excuses are! You are already falling apart as is and… and now you’re doing this! What the hell are you even doing that requires… this!”_

_By the time the bar had to close, G and my father had what seemed like emotional heart to heart. I was clocking out employees and locking up the front doors while they spoke. They were talking for so long the sun almost rose by the time G left. After that day, G would usually enter through the back door of the bar. Ever so often, he would be gone for an extended period of time, only to come back with a new wounds. It was like this for several year, but one day he just disappeared. We hadn’t heard anything from him for a long time and figured he was on some harsh project. My father never took the time to go to the labs to check in on him, which tempted me to sneak out and do so. Before I even willed up the courage to do so, my father got the news that G had been replaced as the royal scientist. No one really even seemed to question this sudden change, even my father took to keeping quiet._

* * *

 

 

            “I would have talked to him if I had understood Hands myself… I’m not even sure how my dad understood it. I am glad Fuku is even interested, since I’m sure if she finds some of his papers she’d be able to tell me wh—“

            “she wouldn’t be able to find the papers anyways.” Sans cut in, looking down at his reflection on the counter. He’d sat up at some point during my story, which I hadn’t noticed before.

            “Huh? What do you mean?”

            “last i heard, all of the papers were lost around the time Gas— uh… the royal scientist went missing.” Sans paused for a moment before looking back at me, “i’m surprised you… remember anything from him at all. it was like everyone’s recollection of him was wiped completely after he went missing.”

            “I suppose… It’s quite a shame the papers were lost… It could have helped our current royal scientist, I’m sure. Someone to make such a thing as the core should have had some amazing plans…” Sans eyes blacked out once again, but only for a moment.

            “yeah… maybe he did. it doesn’t matter now. it’s all a thing of the past.”

            There was a sudden, awkward silence between the two of us. We both averted our gazes, trying to figure out how to fill up this air. We never get into silences like this. Sans would usually fill in with some sort of pun… It seems he has been off his game today.

            “Sans…” I finally spoke up, “I’m glad your font is much easier to understand… From what my father told me, Hands wasn’t another language, but more of a different way of communicating. I didn’t understand that at all, but supposedly G’s been speaking the same language as everyone else, but the way he write and the way his words come out is different from ours… I can understand it from you at least. You don’t speak in any different language, but your writing style and your accent is something no one else has here. You skeletons are rather interesting… I will say this much… Your font is rather soothing in its own way.”

Sans’s cheekbones took on a soft shade of blue, seeming to glow in its own way. He gave a genuine smile, “thanks Grillbz… i wouldn’t miss out on such an opportunity in any timeline.”

            Sans suddenly hopped off his seat, stretching out before heading towards the door. “it’s seriously getting late now. you’re going to end up sleeping in this bar if you stay any longer. we should call it a night.”

            With a sigh, I also take to my feet, walking back around the bar counter. “I suppose you’re right. Good night, Sans.”

            “good night, Grillby.” A familiar shade of blue filled the room for just a moment, the sound similar to a cartoon laser echoing as Sans took his usual ‘shortcut’ home. 

            I leaned on the counter once more, face in my arms. What a peculiar night… I just hope that maybe, if these ‘timelines’ and ‘resets’ are real, that I could also remember something about them… At least Sans won’t have to feel so alone through all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, I'm back with more stuff to type. Hehe... Can't keep my hands off these keys. This is gonna be a bit long. I wanted to clarify the whole fonts thing in case anyone is confused (it was supposed to sound confusing anyways since even Grillby doesn't fully understand how to explain it).
> 
> I imagine that when there were more skeletons, there were a wide set of fonts used. I almost imagine that Gaster wasn't the only one to use wingdings (plus, people probably used wingdings 2 and 3... boy...). If anyone is confused, I'll try putting it this way. These fonts are obviously not a different language. It's similar to how accents work when someone is speaking English. Some people have such heavy accents that it's hard to understand them when they speak English, while others have little to no accent at all. Skeletons are a special case because their accents run off into the way they write, too. Sans and Papyrus are on the lighter side of having any accents at all, making what they write and say easier to understand. Gaster, and anyone else who'd use wingdings would be much heavier in their respective accents.
> 
> As for the "language" being the same, think of it this way. If you typed the word "love" and kept changing the font, it still is the word "love". It at no point suddenly became "amor" or "liebe". This is also different to Chinese characters, where even phonetically it's not "love", it's "ai". People can try to read it, but it will be complicated. 
> 
> In the written sense, it's also similar to how everyone writes different, but in print or cursive most of the time you can understand what is written. As for skeletons, they can only write one specific way (with both hands for my headcannon!). So if someone a script-like font, they cannot ever write in print. 
> 
> I hope that helps ^^;. I'll answer any other questions in the comments when I can. Also, a couple of chapters have been written already since I was waiting to get the invite for this account. I will periodically add the chapters in, but I don't think I'll have a set time frame between each new post, so I guess just check in whenever :3.


	2. It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans POV.

Chapter 2

 

            _“you know… for a ‘human’ you seem to take the pain from my attacks pretty well. You’d screamed if anyone touched you in those other timelines. how come you don’t cry now?” I huff, dodging another swipe of their knife._

_“Are you really that stupid? You seriously haven’t gotten that we aren’t the same person. Your silly little friend isn’t here anymore. I have control of their soul, but it’s still connected to them. Any pain you inflict to it gets sent back to them.” The dark chuckles of the child ring through the cold hall._

_“what do you mean? is this some multiple personalities or something? you switch and suddenly your own nerves don’t work? if i could get the original Frisk back, i’d appreciate it.” I wipe my frontal bone, trying to understand what was going on._

_“I’m surprised it hasn’t come to you yet. I’ll treat you to a bit of information this time. It’s not like it will help you anyways. For one, my name is Chara, and Frisk gave their soul to me.” With another laugh, Chara came in quick with their knife only to smack face first into another bone attack._

_“Chara?” Why did that name sound so familiar…? “why would Frisk give their soul up to a brother killer like you?”_

_“Oh, so you assume Frisk is innocent in all of this, huh? Frisk was the one who killed your brother first. I only stood by, waiting as their guilt consumed them. In fact, I didn’t really get control of their body’s movements until our first fight here.”_

_I slide to the left, Gaster Blasters firing at all different directions trying to hit the kid. “… i don’t believe that. Frisk was too fragile for something like that.”_

_“Hehe, you truly think so? Why do you think Frisk left the ruins in the first place? They are the curious type, and it didn’t take long to get them wondering what exactly it would be like to see a monster turn to dust. Sure, it took them a while to get that knife into Toriel… Hell, it took them all the way until Toriel was willing to spare them that Frisk sunk that knife inside her soul. Your brother was just an easy kill, so Frisk didn’t have to worry so much.” Chara laugh grew louder, their eyes showing their pure enjoyment in the recollection of the first genocide._

_They fell into several bones, piercing them from the floor. They were dead in an instant, meaning I had a moment to breath. Yet, I can’t help but think about what Chara just said. Frisk was… curious? My brother’s first death was due to someone’s… sick curiosity? I could feel my magic flaring up. I trusted Frisk… I realized that perhaps it wasn’t truly them in there… sure, who I thought was taking control wasn’t some other personality, but this… this was worse… It meant that the human who took all of us up to the surface… The human who befriended my younger brother and gave him the chance to finally see the sun all those resets ago… Was the same human to wipe him out?_

_Chara was back, their cackling growing as they came closer. They ran their knife against each pillar until they were finally at their respective spot._

_“how many resets has it been now? forty-two? i could never understand why you stay so determine to repeat the same horrible timeline over and over again.” I could feel it in my bones… I don’t have enough magic to last as long as I usually do. Chara is getting better at this with every battle… I’ve never been bested in under fifty resets._

_“I never got to actually answer that question you asked… Why I seem not to feel pain when Frisk was hurt by the slightest attack in those sweet, happy timelines.” Chara went right into the battle like always, quick to get through some of my first attacks._

_“After the first time we completed our genocide, I had control of Frisk’s body. However, without their soul I couldn’t play in this world as I pleased. I made them believe that they weren’t in control of the resets anymore… That they needed me to reset this world and do what was ‘right’ and ‘just’.”_

_“so you managed to trick them into giving you their soul? i still don’t see how that keeps you from feeling pain?” I barely dodged that swipe, throwing Chara back with another blast._

_“Well, there are so many rules to this world and I learned how soul possession worked during that first pacifist run. You see, I can take this soul, use its determination to reset and keep my place in their body… and if that’s all I wanted out of it, that’s all I’m going to get. Instead of taking the soul in its entirety, which would have made Frisk much like what I once was, I left them with the bad parts of it. If only you could hear them. With every shot of your blaster… Every pierce of a sharp bone… Frisk would scream and cry in agony. It’s music to my ear. Each time they scream, fruitfully begging for people to stop hitting them, stabbing them, shooting them, burning them… anything…” Chara ran in, almost getting me with their knife again._

_“no! i refused to believe that! you’ve just become numb. there is no way Frisk is locked away to feel everything that should hurt you. if anything, Frisk never spoke a word before. why would they speak now?” The combination of emotions and how fatigued I was only made it harder for me to concentrate._

_“Hm… I think I know a way for you to hear them. I’ve learned a lot about this world, and part of me wished I could have been able to be heard by everyone else before I took control. I figured out just how to do that after the fact… maybe I can access that now.” Chara paused, even going as far as to turn their back from me._

_I took the opportunity to shoot a bone right through them, watching as their full health began to dwindle down. That was when I heard it._

_“PLEASE! IT HURTS SO MUCH PLEASE STOP IT SANS! SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!” Off in the distance was a small, translucent figure curled up on the floor… Frisk… Frisk had their hands to their head, squeezing in as hard as they could. They were more translucent than even the usual ghost. Without really thinking about it, I pulled the bone back out._

_Frisks wailing was reduced to shaken sobbing as Chara’s laughter filled the hall one more. “You see? Frisk feels every agonizing second of these battles. Every bit of your power. They usually call out to someone… but nobody came… At least, until we get here. You finally came right at their call, but all you did was cause the worst pain of it all. Over and over again. How many tries did it take me to actually fight you the first time? Two hundred thirty eight? All of those long, long battles and I felt none of it… I suppose they deserve it, since they were the original dirty brother killer. Even I can still show mercy sometimes. I let them have a little control when we decide to do a pacifist run… Let them atone for their sins for just a little while.”_

_I stared at my hands, taking this all in. Frisk was still crying in the distance, calling for me. As much as I hated it, I knew I had to keep fighting. I didn’t want to see this ending happen again… Yet, it only got harder to keep these bones attack coming when I hear those screams telling me to stop. Tears welled in my eyes, trying to fight through it. I had to keep thinking of my brother… The dust piled in the snow… The battle body scattered around the ground… The scarf we made together, worn down from all the years he wore it…_

_Next think I know, I fall to the floor, knees clanking first before my head rests against the cold gloss. For the first time ever, I was literally stabbed right in my back. I lost all concentration and didn’t even see Chara run behind me._

_“I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Sans, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done it! I'm so sorry!" All I could hear was Frisk’s insistent apologies and Chara’s cackle as my vision started to fade, my dust flowing into the air. I wasn’t even given the chance to keep some of my dignity by walking away. Soft steps were heard as Chara began to move away, Frisk’s transparent body seeming to be dragged across the floor. Was Chara also forced to stay by their side before taking their soul? Even if Chara wanted, they were dragged by Frisk… If so, I guess the tables have turned… If only there was some way of reversing this… No… I suppose it was like I said before… Kids like them… Should be burning in hell._

 

* * *

 

 

            “HAH—!” My bones rattled as I sat up on my bed, clutching the blanket close to my sternum. I could feel the sweat dripping down my bones, my soul feeling as if it’s going to leap out of my rib cage a soft blue glow illuminated through my shite shirt. It took a moment just to calm it down.

            I stared at the window, seeing the soft light coming into my room. Damn, I’m going to be late for work. At least it’s back by the exit of the ruins. I don’t have to worry about walking part of the way there after using my shortcut. I pull on my usual hoodie, opting to keep the same clothes as yesterday since I’m in such a rush. Judging by how quiet it is here at home, Papyrus is already out on his patrols. That means he will most definitely be back to make sure I’m on time for work. I ran into the kitchen, checking what food we had left…

            Empty… the fucking fridge is empty… Looks like Papyrus must have done some thorough cleaning in the kitchen, because it’s almost empty of everything except the dishes and silverware, all cleaned and neatly stacked in their respective cupboards. Looks like I’m skipping breakfast this morning… Great.

            After taking a quick shortcut, I grab out my usual stool from behind the station. Dusting some of the snow off it, I took my place, laying my head on my crossed arms after clocking in with the sign-in sheet. Closing my eyes for a second was a bad idea. As much as I would like to go straight back to sleep, my mind is going straight back to the images from my recent nightmare. Every ending is usually the same when I fought Chara, but that one was one of the few unique ones… I could tell this is going to be a long day… I could never find myself getting my usual naps when I have those nightmares. Hopefully the human will be on a pacifist run this time around. I could use the rest.

            Man… I wish I had time to go to Grillby’s for breakfast. Now I’ve going to have to wait for brunch.

            Speaking of which… How many resets has it been since Grillby told me that story? Six? Seven? I’ve never had another encounter with Grillby that was anything like that. Of all the monsters in the underground, Grillby was one of the most consistent. Every timeline I was able to rely on him being able to repeat the same actions each time. While genocide and pacifists runs brought different conversations, there really wasn’t much of a difference. Even during a ‘neutral’ run of sorts, Grillby never changed. That last time though? That was the first change from Grillby in a pacifist run I’d ever seen. If it wasn’t the fact that I’ve gone through telling him how repetitive he was during resets before that night, I would have assumed that line of dialogue would have been the factor that caused such a change. I try from time to time to see if I could get a story from him, but I’ve been unsuccessful thus far.

            Oh… the doors to the ruin. They are opening. Looks like the human is here to grace this world with their presence once more.

            I’m not going to do my usual ‘grand entrance’, having gone through this so many times before. I leaned on one of the pillars of the barricade my brother built, watching as the human approached. It seems they haven’t changed their demeanor much, which usually meant this might be a good reset. Usually Chara would have shown themselves.

            “Why hello, comedian.” Came the purr of evil.

            I guess I was wrong…

            “i’m not so much in the mood for this. if i could, i would fight you right here.” I huff, gesturing them to follow me as I walked through the barricade.

            “Oh, now don’t talk like that. You most certainly can fight me here and now if you wish, but—“

            “but i would risk throwing this timeline into a mess where i die first and get stuck in a loop of only ever remembering my few moments of life here, much like Papyrus would if he could… i’d force a new Sans to be created, stuck trying to gather all the information i know now… Like the others you’ve talked about so much… i don’t think that would be the way i want to go if i was willing to take such a risk. plus, what am i without my final judgement, hm?” I shrug, slippers dragging in the snow.

            “Lets not forget that you could also get thrown into the void~,” Chara snickered.

I didn’t react, which seemed to change their tune. “Hmm… You haven’t been so fun lately. I wish you would just do it so I could get a fresh, new Sans to go with the rest of the people here. I want to go through that first time we fought. At least you’d be more willing to throw out some puns and keep in character for me.” Chara sneered, twisting the toy knife in their hands.

            “if you think that i’d willingly screw with the timelines for your indulgence, then you’re a better comedian than i am.” I turned to them, making sure to stop before Papyrus would arrive. Some situations seemed to work like it needed to be triggered. I could stand here forever and as long as Chara doesn’t move past me, Papyrus would probably never show up… In theory, at the very least.

            “Chara… how old are you now? how old is Frisk at this point? sure, Frisk is still just thirteen in this world. hell, Papyrus is only sixteen and i’m just twenty-three, but how many years have gone by?”

            “…” Chara looked me up and down suspiciously. They seemed to not like this line of conversation. Good, “I believe… If I understand the resets correctly, Frisk would be seventeen now.”

            “seventeen… it’s been four years. four years of reliving the same days over and over and over again. i don’t get what you find so great about it. I don’t understand why you keep resetting over and over. Surely four years have been more than enough to create every outcome, every story, every combination of kills… probably all of that at least twice. i’m surprised you haven’t just gone to the surface and try committing genocide on the humans there.” The click of my teeth grinding against each other fills the air as I hold my eye sockets closed.

            “… I would, but there is nowhere to save on the surface… I don’t have enough determination to overpower all of humanity and create the save stations like Asr— Flowey did here. I have more control down here than everyone else does, and thus I can do what I want here.” Chara crossed their arms, pouting off to the side.

            “what are you afraid of? that you’d die up there and be unable to come back from the void? or perhaps you’re afraid you’d have to fight your brother again befo—“

            “He’s not my brother!” Chara gritted out, pushing past me, “Let’s just get this over with already. I’m getting bored.”

            I smirk, turning to follow them, “Oh no, looks like I _Asriel-ly_ struck a nerve, huh. I _goat_ the idea. I must be a _brother_ to you, slowing you down like this.”

            “SAAAAANS!” came the familiar yell of my younger brother, cutting Chara from saying anything else.

 

* * *

 

 

            I slide quickly to my right, shrugging my arms. “Did you seriously thi—“

            _20_

_19_

_18_

Ketchup ran down my sliced jacket… My health slowly dwindling. Lost again…

            “well. i’m going to Grillby’s. Papyrus, do you want anything?” I say, walking down the hall. I chose to use one of my old lines this time, finding some comfort in them. I’ve never really gone all the way to Grillby’s before… Maybe I’ll do something different.

            _17_

_16_

_15_

            It’s funny… I have a skill that was forced into me that allows me to slowly drain the health of other’s, yet, in turn, if someone hits me the same thing happens to me. I have one hp, but that acts more like how many hits I’m able to take before I die. Thanks, Gaster… I could feel the familiar collapse of my bones slowly turning to dust as I walk down the hall. I just need to go a little further…

            _14_

_13_

_12_

I take a shortcut, finding myself inside Grillby’s. I fall to my knees, swinging my arms around to try and grab for something, but failing. My head hits the floor, dazing me a bit further. I can’t feel my legs, knowing full well they must have turned to dust already. Would Grillby even be here? He must have evacuated a long time ago, I’m certain. I don’t really know why I even tried to get here… It’s stupid… I’ll die alone like every other time…

            _11_

_10_

_09_

            “Sans!” Grillby cried out, running to me. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as he lifts my still tangible upper-body from the puddle of ketchup and dust. I grip his arms tighly, unable to look him in his face. He’s… So warm… He’s made of fire, yet he doesn’t seem to burn…

            “Sans! What happen to you?! Was it the human?! How… Why…” I could hear his words quiver, his arms tightening around me. He’s crying too… Why did I come here? Why did I do this to him? The last thing I want to do was hear him cry… Be the reason why he was crying..

_08_

_07_

_06_

            “Grillby… think you could get me the usual?” I curved my permanent grin up slightly, some of the aching pain I feel dwindling with the rest of me.

            “… A burger… With cheese and extra ketchup… Some fries and a bottle of ketchup on the side… Just how you always like it…” A sizzle rings through the air as hot tears fall onto my face.

            _05_

_04_

_03_

            “yeah… just how i like it… maybe you could give me some of your special made ketchup… the spicy one.” I sigh, half of my vision already disappearing with parts of my arms, my skull now dusting from the eye socket out.

            A soft, pained chuckle rumbles in Grillby’s chest, “I don’t know about that, Sans… Don’t you remember what happen the last time you had that spicy ketchup? You were practically melting.”

            _02_

            I look up, finally catching a glimpse of Grillby’s face before all my vision left me. I’m sure I’m down to practically half a skull now. It’s getting hard to hear, “yeah… you really _lit a flame_ in my soul with that one.”

            Another soft, shaky chuckle fills the room as I feel Grillby grab for my soul hidden under my hoodie before it hits the ground, his other hand on what’s left of my spine.

            _01_

            I can’t speak anymore… I can’t hear anymore… I just feel those fiery hands gripping my soul gently. I can feel a few hot tears landing on it, keeping me warm.  I can feel Grillby’s sadness, his fear, his anger, all of him coursing through me so quickly…

            There is one last message that is sent through me before my soul finally breaks…

            _00_

            _“I  w i l l  a v e n g e  y o u.”_

* * *

 

            Another day, another reset. Grillby seemed a little off today, but that's fine. Everyone has their off days, even Grillby. While Redbird was good at translating for Grillby, they didn't know just how to understand Grillby’s emotions. His flames were flickering wildly in comparison to his usual composure. His complexion was slightly darker, and the crackles of his fire seemed a bit louder. His glasses were askew, showing that he had slight bags under his eyes. I couldn't remember if he ever had any, since he always wore his glasses. His polishing was rushed, and he seemed flustered just trying to bring out food for his customers…

            “hey… Grillbz… are you okay? something seems to be bugging you… and you look a little sick.” I ate another fry, a little groggy this morning but not any less alert than usual.

            All I got from Grillby was a shake of his head. He’s very quiet this morning. While that’s not unusual for maybe the usual patron, it was around me. I always managed to make him get a bit chatty. I'm worried, and I want to stay to talk, but I had to head off to my first shift at work. Plus, if it's something personal then Grillby would likely not tell me with everyone else around… If he was sick, he’d probably keep that from everyone until he got so bad he’d pass out… Or at least someone could convince him to lock up if they really noticed. I know I wouldn’t get through to him, so hopefully someone else would.

            “well Grillbz, i have to head back to work. just don't push yourself too hard. take it from me, it’s not fun. no one likes a cold… or do fire elementals just get fevers?” I smirk, hoping for some sort of laugh, but I didn't even get a smile from him. He just nodded again, which was a sure sign he wasn't even listening anymore.

            “uh… yeah… see you later, i guess…” with one last nod from Grillby, I walked out the door. I made sure to take my fries with me. I'm sure it's already listed on my tab.

            On my way to my station, I noticed a crack in the door from the ruins. The kid’s early… That's interesting. From the looks of things, they haven't walked out yet. They must be waiting for me… Is Chara back for another round? From the sound of running footsteps and the sudden hug, I’m gonna say that Frisk is back. Over time, I decided to forgive them for the first death of my brother. They were young and easy to get coaxed into it, so it felt like Chara was still the only one to kill him.

            “hey kiddo. what’s got you rattling your bones?” Frisked looked up at me with a nervous look in their eyes. Was it from the last fight they had? No… Frisk wouldn't be clinging to me if it was. Did something unexpected happen in the ruins?

            Frisk let go, needing their hands to relay the message. It seems Frisk only uses their voice when the pain is too much… Which was pretty depressing. [What happen to G r i l l b y?]

            “Grillby? he’s fine. he seemed a bit off today, but i'm sure that's nothing special. what makes your bring him up?”

            [During the last reset, he fought C h a r a. They almost couldn't reset and that could have kept us stuck in the void. I was worried he’d got lost there. We don't know how he entered into it with us.] Frisk was a little frantic, and if it wasn't for the fact that I got so used to sign language, I’d been lost.

            This… was a predicament. Grillby fought Chara? That shouldn’t have been possible. Chara should have reset before he would have made it to them… Was his shortcut over to the bar really that big of a change? Oh no, did it cause a dead timeline?! What if now I'm stuck in the loop like Chara and I spoke about… “that couldn’t have been possible… it shouldn't have been possible. if it did happen, i'm sure he doesn't remember anything about it… no one ever remembers these resets except for us…” I tried to reason, but now I was worried.

            I learned that I kept the memories of each timeline due scientific means… Grillby shouldn't remember any of it, yet it would make sense with how off he was today. If he remembered that… That moment we had… Then perhaps that's why he didn't seem to talk all day today. Those bags under his eyes… Was he getting the nightmares? Would he end up like me… No, I don't want anyone else to suffer like me.

            Then, the memory of that message inscribed into my soul echoed out once more.

            _“I  w i l l  a v e n g e  y o u.”_

            “Frisk… i think i made a huge mistake…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to drop a comment! I'll answer any questions you may have if I can. Just a reminder, if you feel I should add any tags to my story, let me know.


	3. When Souls Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grillby's POV

            I dragged my feet along the snow, slowly reaching to the front door of the bar. I feel sick, tired, pained… I feel so much sadness… So much anger. I haven’t had nightmares in years, and never had they been this vivid… The snow was melting away from my feet in bigger waves than usual. I can’t seem to calm my nerves, and I even dropped my keys while fumbling at the door. I finally get the damn thing open, the bell ringing like it always did.

            _I heard the door open, the bell letting me know someone was there. I hug into myself, knowing that… that child… they must be there. Everyone has been evacuated, but I’ve been too scared to move. I called for Fuku, finding out that Alphys was gathering the rest of the survivors. I said I would get there as soon as possible, but I lied. I don’t know if I could ever bring myself out of Snowdin… Just imagining all the dust…_

_The loud thud of a body was what brought my mind back to the present. Someone… Fell? I peeked through the door that lead out to the bar from the kitchen, only to see Sans on the floor and a thick, red fluid pooling around the floor. “Sans_ _—!”_

            “Dad…” The soft, familiar voice broke me out of my trance. I’ve just been standing at the door this whole time.

            “Fuku… What are you doing here? You should be on your way to school.” I huffed, feeling all the more flustered. My head hurt worse than those old hangovers I use to get when I was younger.

            “Dad… I’m a little worried about you. You should keep the shop closed for the day. A sick day won’t hurt us, and I’m sure everyone would understand. You just… Look so sick. I’ve never seen you so flushed and out of it before.” Fuku gave me a look of pity that I hated to see. She grabbed for my keys and I didn’t even fight her. Maybe she was right… I should stay closed for once.

            I stepped away from the shop, Fuku grabbing my hand after locking the door, “Dad… would you like me to stay with you today? I’m sure I could get my missed work from a friend.”

            “Uh… No, Fuku, that’s fine…” I sigh, “Would you like me to walk you to school? I could probably use the walk to keep my mind busy.”

            “…” She hummed, looking me up and down, “Sure Dad… You can walk me to school.”

            The two of us took the longer way to Fuku’s school in Hotlands. She usually took the ride with the River Person, but on any normal day I would be shaky getting into the boat, so I’d probably fall into the water with how I am today. The walk was soothing, Fuku decided to tell me more about school and her personal studies. She complained that Hands seemed to be too hard to understand since there were so different from the normal way of writing and speaking. Supposedly she just got lucky upon finding a book with some of the necessary information in Waterfall, but she found out that there are three versions of it. She is afraid she is learning the wrong one. It’s no surprise that a book like that was so hard to find.

            I could feel the heat of Hotlands in the distance, the color scheme of the scenery shifting dramatically. Before we can actually step foot in there, Fuku stopped.

            “Dad… I know you don’t like Hotlands as much… after everything that happen. I can go in on my own. You should head back.” She smiled softly at me, “You’re certainly looking better, but you should still rest when you get home… Just in case.”

            I hugged her, sigh softly into her hair. “Thank you, Fuku. Have a good day at school.”

            “Feel better, Dad. I’ll be home as soon as I can.” With a soft kiss to the cheek, she skipped off to school. I watched her set off, standing there until she was no longer in my vision.

            She… is growing up to be so much like her mother. Always ambitious… Always so caring… She even looks like her… Their shared shade of green… I wonder how things would be like now had she… they…

            There was no time to think about this. I turned, beginning the trek back home. I was left feeling lonelier than I’ve ever felt before. I’ve lost my mother… my brother… my father… my wife… I can’t imagine losing Fuku… And I’ve already imagined losing Sans…

            The further I got, the heavier this growing depression weighed on me. I don’t get it… Just one nightmare and I felt like I was at a loss… I could image my father’s disappointment in me… What he would think of me now… How small my bar is… How weak my control of my magic is… Hell, I don’t even know how he’d handle the amount of money I’ve yet to collect from Sans’s tab…

            Sans… Was this what he felt like? I remember he told me about his repeated nightmares in the past. I always felt that attributed to the reason why he couldn’t see the good in himself. Those horrid thoughts were constantly plaguing his mind…

            _I grabbed his body from the floor. Checking him, I saw his health was dwindling. I knew that trying to get him food would take too long, and my magic liquor wasn’t made for healing… He was already missing his legs… And of course he would be the horrible asshole who lines bottles of ketchup under his jacket. What kind of protection was that? It certainly explains why his body seemed so pudgy for a skeleton._

_His hands were gripping my arms tight. I felt some of the dust starting to burn on any of my exposed flames as it floats in the air, surrounding us. His soul was coursing magic harder than I’ve ever felt anyone before. I don’t get it… This was something so new to me. Elemental monsters never had the chance to dust. Flames would just puff into a cloud of smoke. Streams would just turn into mist. Rocks just crumbled, which was the closest to dusting. Winds would just disappear. Our souls are quick to shatter, leaving us with no moment to wait… I never had a moment to hold anyone I cared about close to me. It would always be over before I got to them, or they got to me._

_Why… Why was Sans here? Why didn’t he have healing items? I never learned healing magic… Why would he come here? Wh_ —

            I was pulled out of my thoughts once more by the rattle of bones as a familiar hand waved in my face.

            “yo, Grillbz… are you alright? you almost bumped right into my station…?”

            I froze up harder than any icicle could ever wish to. I can’t do this… I can’t be here right now… What was Sans doing here so early anyways? Was it because I closed? He was forced to get to work early instead of taking his usual break for once… This sudden anxiety was choking me, and I could both feel and see my flames flaring. I was turning a bright yellowish tone, leading into a bright white. It was so strong even Sans had to cover his eyes a little.

            “Grillby, you might want to cool down… what’s wrong? you’re kind of freaking me out. anymore heat and i’m going to melt right where i stand.” He chuckles, sweat dripping ever so slightly.

            _His soul beats painfully in my palms, once a brilliant, royal blue now a soft teal tone. So much regret… So much pain… So much self-loathing… I was able to feel all his current and past dominant emotions flowing though his soul. It began to crack as if it was trying to prolong this moment even though it knew it wouldn’t survive. I hate it… I hate it so much… Sans doesn’t deserve this… He can’t just die in vain…_

            I felt his hands on my cheeks for a moment, only to quickly withdraw due to the heat, “what’s gotten into you? i’ve never seen you cry like this before…” Something about that felt like a lie… I cried as his body was turning to dust in that nightmare… It felt almost like a memory at this point, but it never happen… It couldn’t have happen…

            I couldn’t take this anymore. I had to leave. There was no way I could stand to be anywhere near Sans after the night I had. I took a shaky step back before running past him. I had to get back home. Sans called out for me in the distance, but I didn’t even chance a glance back. I didn’t even open my eyes, feeling my tears fall and hearing them fizzle on the ground. I couldn’t just run back to Hotlands, even if I wanted to get away from Sans. And I wasn’t sure if I could truly hide from him in Snowdin. I just had to get home… I could figure this out when I can finally settle down.

 

* * *

 

 

_“I’m very surprise your father was willing let you take the day off. Though, I guess it’s no surprise he plans to have you work the night. He is certainly a technical man.” Kaiya giggled a little, her hand in mine. Our arms swung lightly between us as we walked through Hotlands._

_“Hehe, yeah. I didn’t think to ask specifically for the night off, too, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers. We are lucky to have this time together.” I could feel my cheeks rise slightly in temperature as I scratched the back of my neck. I hated how bashful I was on dates._

_“He especially has been working you very hard as of late. I guess it’s no surprise since… Are you sure he is doing okay?” She looked over to me with a little concern on her face._

_I stopped walking, letting go of her hand and breathing out a heavy sigh, “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. He is always rather emotional, so I can’t tell if his grouchiness just counts as good or bad. He’s been rather uncaring when it came to the bar and the restaurant, so I guess he still isn’t taking it well enough. It’s been almost a year now, and he won’t even talk about it with me.”_

_Kaiya hugged me, patting my head with a lime green hand. “I’m sorry, Hun. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I’m just worried for him, too. I know he doesn’t like me much, but if he’s going to be the grandfather of our child I would like to try to fix the relationship we never got to start.”_

_“Yeah… I knew we shouldn’t have kept our relationship a secret. I just didn’t know how to tell him about it. He was already mad enough that I’ve been giving that skeleton and his brother free left-overs from time to time. I wasn’t sure how he’d react to me dating… I only ruined this more for the both of us.”_

_“You were scared… I understand. Most people probably don’t want to hear that their kid is in love with a mixed elemental. Especially since I’m part water. Sure, I retained more of my fire element, but that doesn’t mean our child might not be a water elemental herself. It certainly would be interesting to see.”_

_We pulled away from each other. I knelt down, pressing my hands against the small bump of her belly. She didn’t have to carry our child like this since we could use our magic to let the baby come sooner, but we needed the time to prepare for parenting. This wasn’t exactly planned after all. “I still can’t believe we are going to have a baby… That I’m going to be a father. I just hope we can provide enough for them.”_

_“Hehe, yeah… It’s amazing what one night can do, huh?” Kaiya laughed._

_I felt my face heat up further, kissing the belly before getting to my feet. “We should continue on our date. If we stall any longer we may miss out on any movies that could be starting soon, and there is no time like the present.”_

_We kept walking and talking like before, hand in hand as we headed for the movie theater. We stopped again, however, when we came across Grillby’s. It was closed._

_“Huh… Father should have open this a good hour ago… I wonder what happen.” I felt uneasy knowing that the shop was closed. I definitely watched my father leave the house this morning, so why wouldn’t he be here now?_

_“Maybe you should call him to see how he is doing. Perhaps he is sick?” Following Kaiya’s suggestion, I called my father’s phone. The line rang almost endlessly, then led to voicemail._

_I tried once more, but still got nothing. “Maybe we should stop by my house. He isn’t picking up his phone and I want to make sure he isn’t hurt or something.” So much for this date…_

_We walked along to my house, finding the door slightly ajar. I know I locked the house when I left earlier.. My father came home, and the open door certainly meant something was wrong. I walked in slowly, looking around. Everything was quiet except for something to soft to hear from the front door._

_“Father? Are you okay? You left the door open.” No response._

_As I moved further into the house, the soft sound grew louder. It was the sound of… running water? That’s when it all hit me. I ran down the hall, heading towards the bathroom. My shoes splashed in the pooling water that was falling out from out the door._

_No, no, no, no, NO!_ _He couldn’t have done it. There was no way. He wasn’t the type to do something like this… Then again, his emotions can get the best of him._

_I shoved the door open, stopping in my tracks as I held myself up on the door frame. I felt weak… sick… and all I could do was scream out for my father as my tears began to fall. Kaiya ran in behind me, gasping as she grabbed me. We both just stood there, not sure what to do about the scene before us._

_Water overflowed from the tub, only the cold water knob turned on. His clothes were soaked, some having sunk to the bottom of the tub and the rest having overflowed onto the ground. There was no steam in the room, letting us know that he was certainly long gone from this world._

_My father had committed suicide._

 

* * *

 

 

            It was certainly a beautiful night for a stroll. Even if I get a little nervous around so much water, Waterfall was a beautiful place. I can see why Fuku loves it here so much. Not too cold, but not too hot either. Sure, flames were always hot, but even we can have our limits before personal comfort comes to question.

It took a moment until I realized that I didn’t hear any actual waterfalls nearby. I slowed down, finally looking around. Since when has this path been this long? I’ve been through here plenty of times when I used to walk Fuku to school. Walking further, I could feel a shiver run down my back, causing my flames to flicker just a little faster. My flames had calmed a little since my outburst this morning at the bar, but now I could feel that a familiar pressure in my chest was building up… Today, I was rather anxious, and I figured it was because of my nightmare. I surprisingly didn’t feel as anxious and terrified as I would have expected. I don’t even do well with horror films, and this nightmare was worse than any film could be. Yet, it felt like I had seen it so many times before. I figured I could just go about my day, but I broke one of my glasses when I squeezed it too hard. I didn’t even realize my own strength, but I’m sure it was because Sans was there. I was trying to be a good friend and listen to him, but So many thoughts were running through my head. I felt like I should talk to him about, but I don’t think he would like to hear about something involving his own death. I suppose this is probably a much needed break.

I eventually came to a door in the middle of the path. Now since when was that door here? Was I really that unaware of my surroundings…? Now that I’m thinking about it, why would a door even be there? It’s the middle of a wall in Waterfall! Even Gerson doesn’t have a door to his shop. I just had to see what must be behind it. I decided to knock first, in case someone actually made a home or a shop for themselves. I didn’t receive a response, so I tried opening the door. I found a pathway that lead to… somewhere deeper within the walls. I decided to go look around since my own body lit enough of the once pitch black passage for me to see.

I walked into a small, empty room. What the hell was this? Perhaps someone was going to set a home or shop here and never finished it? Upon hearing the slam of the door, I could feel another shiver down my back… Yet, this was different…

_You felt your sins run down your back._

I turned around, seeing a rather tall, looming figure before me. His face was distorted horrifically. There were two large eyes, deep cracks running down one and up the other. His permanent smile melting along with the rest of his face. His body was a giant cloud of black dust, constantly moving and shifting. He stared, piercing his eyes through my soul and stealing my breath away. I felt my magic sparking as I readied myself to fight. I most certainly wasn’t prepared for something like this, but I knew I just needed time to at least burn the door down and run at best. My hands held two fully formed fireball. While I felt I was strong, I didn’t know how to perfectly control my powers. I just let my soul run things, forming my magic on instinct instead of strategy. I was never the warrior my father once was.

Both of our souls came to the foreground, ready for a battle. I gritted my teeth, feeling my anxiety kick in. This specter had no available stats to read, but his magic seemed… Chaotic… Strong… Intimidating...

_“Move out of my way! You have no idea what you are doing! How did you even get in here?!” Yelled the demon before me. I stood between it and those glowing lights that looked like giant buttons. Reset and True Reset… What did that mean? Why was it there?_

_I shot another blast of fire at them, my rage making this room glow in a brilliant red light. It perfectly illuminated the burn the ‘human’ sustained at my first blow when I caught them off guard, but almost made their soul blend into the surroundings when they were close to me,  “You did this! You killed them! You forced everyone away! You… You killed him… Why did you do this?! Why would you do something as horrid as genocide and expect me to not try to stop you?!”_

_“Well, you certainly never did this before. I assumed you were a non-player like the rest of them… I’m not sure why you’re here, but you must not realize just how determined I am… How sad…” They laughed, lunging their dust and ketchup covered knife at me once more._

_I decided to check their stats just to see how strong they were. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw their LOVE at twenty. I’ve never personally met someone so high… Hell, even I was no more than an eight, and as far as I knew, the king should have been the only monster of the underground to get to such a high point._

He seemed to act as opposed to fighting. He open his mouth, trying to speak to me. However, his voice was distorted. It sounded like an error ringing through bad computer speakers. I wasn’t going to give in so quickly. He was probably trying to make me trust him, only to kill me at my most vulnerable moment. I shot off a series of flames at as many directions I could think of, attempting to hit at his cracked and dripping purple soul. That black body would move to create holes that each flame passed through, his movements as swift and fluid as the rest of the water in this region. My attacks fizzled into the ground, somehow unable to keep the room burning. Of course this would happen… Could I even burn the door if I had the chance? It’s probably too damp like everything else.

This made him more agitated, but he tried acting again. I wasn’t going to be fooled so easily. The door leading to this trap was one thing, but I was certainly not curious enough to care about whatever he was trying to say.

_Their stare, their laugh… Their determination… It was terrifying. I jumped back, sending a stream of lava their way. Even at such a high LOVE, I’m sure I can attempt to win. Most of my hope had drained from my soul, but I knew there was still one thing worth fighting for._

_Fuku… She was still out there with the rest of them. I may have lost my patrons, my neighbors, and my closest friend, but my daughter was still out there… Scared and alone despite the group she must have fled with. The angrier I was at this situation, the less fear I felt and the more determination that pumped through my soul. I shot fire bullets rapidly in the air, many of them hitting the demon, but it only dwindled a little bit of health._

_“You’re losing your flair, Bartender. You’re too weak. I can kill you off with one good hit just like that stupid skeleton.” They threw their knife at me, nicking me on the arm and tearing into my shirt. I jumped back, my body almost hitting those buttons I was blocking the demon from touching._

_“Idiot! You’re going to ruin this if you hit one of those! You don’t know what you’re doing! We could be trapped in here!” They growled, coming in with a renewed energy._

_I kept up with each attack, dodging and countering as best as I could. Dodging was certainly not so easy. I even managed to take the knife and attempt to use it on the demon. Yet, when it came down to it… Their health down at five… They pulled out one last treat, healing almost all of their health once more. I was stuck on the floor, barely able to move anymore. My health was down to three and my magic was almost completely gone, enough only to sustain my slowly dimming flames. I was so close… So, so close. I didn’t want to die…_

_“Poor, Bartender. Seems like this is when your last hours strikes. I’ll make sure to see you again in another timeline.” With that, my soul shattered in seconds under the weight of their foot._

This was frustrating! He wasn’t fighting back, and all of my attacks were missing. I was readying myself to try to lunge at his soul and get to a closer combat. He seemed to be doing to well with long distance battling. Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed a tight hold of the side of my head. I felt my soul seizing up and my body beginning to give out on me. The squeeze on my head was only getting worse. Was this it? Was I just going to die here? I didn’t know what to do.

            I attempted to grab at the hands after having hit the floor. His body came closer to me, staying at a perfect pitch black tone despite the light from my flames. I grabbed at the wrist portion of the hands, trying to pry them off. It wasn’t working as best I had hoped. My fingers slipped on one of the hands and hooked into an empty socket in the center. The socket almost took away the entirety of the palms of these hands. It finally hit me and I stopped struggling due to my shock. These hands… They belonged to one person, and one person only…

            I looked up at my father’s best friend. The one who should have been dead. The one who supposedly has been forgotten. The one who… The one whom my father felt he couldn’t live without. He consumed me into his body, my flames no longer reflecting on anything but my own clothes. I felt my soul grow distant from me, wondering if this was somehow a slower death. Was I going to become one with the rest of this dust?

            Then, a surge of magic overflowed my entire being. More, giant hands grabbed a hold of me, the ones on my head actually phasing into me like a ghost through a wall. Soon I was wrapped in each grasp, my body feeling constricted and only my head and feet sticking out. Yet, whatever had sent that surge of magic into my soul was now sending calming waves through me. I still felt a little uneasy, but I wasn’t so tense.

            “Finally, you’ve calmed down.” That booming voice rang clearly, the hands loosening me into more of a cradle now that my body was mostly limp. His face came into view again, much larger than before. His expression was as blank as it could be since he, too, had a permanent smile.

            “… Why can I understand you now when just before you didn’t even sound like you were speaking with words?” I ask. I have so many questions, and it was hard to tell where to start.

            “Those hands I slipped into you are placed where your ears would be. I can use my magic in a very specific way to help you understand me.”

            “… Is that how my father was able to understand you?” My words seemed to have caught him off guard, his smile faltering slightly.

            “… So you remember me? Interesting… I wasn’t quite expecting to have anyone remember me and still have a proper place within this world. Well, aside from my son.”

            “Son?” Did he mean Sans? Wait, no… He only referenced one son. What about Papyrus?

            “… That’s unimportant. I must know how much about me you remember.” He took a stern tone, his eyes narrowing slightly.

            “I remember your hands and the fact that you were close to my father. You were the royal scientist… You just disappeared one day, and that’s the most I could really remember.” I paused for a moment, the scientist seeming to be waiting for more.

            “…” When I said nothing more, he sighed. “I suppose you don’t remember my name then?”

            I shook my head, “No, I just remember it starts with a ‘G’, if I am correct?”

            “That much is true.” He moved his face closer to me, his voice growing even deeper and slightly darker, “I wasn’t quite expecting you of all people to come to my door, but I suppose this is too important of a chance to turn up. I just have one very important question for you to answer for me.”

            I felt a sting of fear, some magic pressing up through my flames while his hands seemed to grip me tighter. I didn’t like this change of tone. The way he is looking at me made me feel like a lab rat… Perhaps this was what it was like when he was running his tests?

            “Tell me… Have you had any nightmares? Vivid nightmares that seemed to feel more like a memory than just your imagination?” I gave a simple nod, my breathing quickening as his face leaned even closer to me. He was practically taking up my entire vision.

            “So it has really happen… Somehow the game has been changed. A new player is in place. I’ve been waiting for this day. Perhaps my plan can finally go into action.” His grin grew incredibly wider than before, those hands gripping me almost tighter than the first time, taking my breath from me. I felt a pulse on my soul, quick and frantic with a few stutters in between.

            Both of our souls finally came to my slowly blurring vision. The flames of my own soul began to coil with the dripping goop of the purple one. I had no idea what was happening, and I couldn’t even ask. All I could hear was ringing and deep, deep laughter. That pulsing began to double in intensity as I watched our souls sync up. It was only a moment before I watched one giant purple shard rip through the middle of my soul, in turn making it feel like it went through the core of my body. I felt like I was screaming, but I couldn’t hear it.

            The world was beginning to spin, my vision blurred into a mess of colors. I couldn’t breathe, and all I felt was agony. I was growing cold, but I knew I wasn’t exactly dying. It was an odd sensation within all the pain. I managed to catch one final message through my soul before blacked out.

            _“Day 1. The subject, Junior, is taking this injection better than expected. By the next reset, he will remember everything. He will finish the job my son never cared to start. I, W. D. Gaster, will be back again.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was something. I kept re-writing parts of scenes just trying to get this to work out how I wanted to. I think I got a flow going now, and I'm excited to get start with chapter 4. 
> 
> I'd totally love comments from you all! Let me know what you think of the story thus far, and if you have any tag suggestions. Thanks for reading and I hope to get the next chapter up soon!


	4. Partners In Crime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaster POV

**Day 1, Entry 4.**

**As much as I would prefer to use a time stamp, time is no longer relevant in this world. I must use entry labels to the best of my ability.**

**The subject, Junior, has taken the implant well enough. Thanks to the sudden reset, he was placed back into his home. These resets tend to begin when the underground goes into night, which was convenient for this process. The more time the fire element could take for sleep, the easier it is for him to take in all of his missing memories. Unfortunately for the both of us, there is no lab to do this in. He is more susceptible to being caught, which could make this project fail before it could even truly begin.**

**After the effects this sort of implant had on Sans the day he received it, I’ve to take every possible precaution. Unfortunately, after the incident with Papyrus, the void is also completely out of question. Now, I must wait for the fire element to wake from his thrashing. One major question is how quick he would be able to understand the situation when he comes to.**

 

* * *

 

**Day 1, Entry 5:**

**Junior was able to realize that something changed much faster than Sans ever did. Perhaps that was because he is much older than Sans was? Perhaps it’s the difference in implants? Nonetheless, he drew out his soul within moments of waking up. He exerted anger at the new imprint in the center of the soul. It is just simple discoloration, but it was enough to make him seemingly inconsolable.**

**He seemed to have calmed down when the much smaller, green flame came to his room. From the way it sounds, this must be his child. My lack of ability to watch by more than Papyrus and the human has made it hard for me to know more about this world’s inhabitants. For now, I choose to stand by Junior before I progress through the views of others. Perhaps my subject may even be able to bring back my access to Sans’s soul. That is something to try at a later time.**

 

* * *

 

 

**Day 1, Entry 9:**

**My subject has chosen to explore through the region of Waterfall. He is muttering to himself, attempting to find my door once more. He is even attacking at different points, hoping to find some sort of hidden means to meet me. His efforts are futile. My door only appears at random. There is no patterns that can clue into when it may next appear. Something about this new power of memory has spiked his determination. It is an interesting outcome and would need further monitoring. If this continues, I may be able to use him for a different course of action. I will never truly need to re-enter myself in this game.**

* * *

 

 

**Day 2, Entry 3:**

**It was a bit worrying to see how calm Junior seemed to have been throughout the morning. However, it turns out he was truly just buying his time to think. Right under my nose, he managed to create a true connection with my implant. He seem to feel somewhat triumphant when he noticed a difference, but it all works out for my favor over his.**

**Every now and then he will go back to studying his soul while no one else was looking. He was taking advantage of the fact that he has to cook food for the patrons of his bar. With a little more work, I may be able to enter into his thoughts and find out what exactly it is he is planning. For now, I’ll stick to my observations in hope of learning to read my subject like that of an open book.**

* * *

 

**Day 2, Entry 8:**

**He has just been sitting there. He closed his shop and even sent me son away. My subject has been in a complete silence with his soul off a short distance away from him. I feel his determination not only growing, but becoming oddly steady. Determination should never be that still. Any longer and he may hurt himself beyond repair. Every monster has to release their magic at some point, which indirectly releases bits of their determination. So how was it that this simple fire elemental is steadying himself so well?**

**I have attempted to break into my implant and gain more access. I could at least force some release. However, I’ve been blocked. No matter how chaotic the strength within my own magic and determination is, I’ve be** **—**

            “Gaster…” The urgent voice pierced through the void and cut off my train of thought. How?

            “Gaster! I know you’re in there… Somewhere…” Junior’s voice was firm and steady, as if he was truly searching within himself.

            “Well certainly this is an interesting turn of events.” I smirked, leaning against the cane I had within my hands.

One plus of the void was that I had the ability to form my body as I pleased instead of sticking to that awful scatter of black dust. I could form whatever came to mind as well. It was rather convenient since I now had my own computer to monitor similar to the one I once had in my lab.

            There was a moment of silence, and I wondered if perhaps I was actually imagining such a voice, “I… wasn’t sure if I would actually be able to reach you.” The voice was somewhat timid compared to a moment ago.

            “And I had assumed I was going to have to control you as oppose to actually speaking with you…This will certainly do.”

            “Gaster, why did you do this? I don’t understand what is happening. I had such a flood of nightmares… They felt so real… Are they real? What exactly did you do?” Junior seemed to be more nervous now. I suppose some explanations were in order.

            “It’s not too much, really. I simply put into you that of a similar implant I gave to Sans. Your mind has become incredibly strong in its hold. Though, I suppose you two seem to have specific differences.”

            “…” My subject seemed to take a pause, as if waiting for more.

            “Why are you so quiet?” I cocked my head, watching him as I was before. He is much more slack, his face as blank as ever. His flames are crackling once more from as far as I can hear, breaking the perfect silence from before.

            “You didn’t answer my other question… What I’ve been seeing… Are they memories?”

            “Yes, they are. All of what you have experienced through your dreams are in fact memories of resets that have passed. You must be able to tell why I am using you just by what you’ve seen.”

            “… So when I was called a ‘non-player’… It just meant that I’ve been doing that same thing all of this time? I’ve never been important to this world other than just being seen?” Interesting… A hint of sadness showed up in Junior’s voice.

            “Well, mostly yes. You never repeated a day of your life until the human came into the underground, though. You had some importance up until that point. That very human has made you relive the same days over and over again. It seems to me that something has triggered you to act, and the only conclusion I can seem to come up with is that it has something to do with my son.”

            “Sans… If it was definitely Sans that triggered me to finally go out and fight…” He paused, supposedly trying to think this all through, “I still don’t know why you want anything to do with me. You said you had an implant in Sans. Couldn’t you work with him? Wouldn’t he have more experience in this than I do?”

            I huffed, “Unfortunately, he is of no use for me. As much as I would prefer to use him, he has become too emotionally connected to his part in this game and is too stubborn for his own good.” Well, it was only partially true, but it’s what I had to work with.

            “Okay… Well, you mentioned before that this implant has specific differences to Sans’s. What exactly are those differences between them?” Junior started to move from his spot, cleaning around his bar. He really does seem to take on some of his father’s quirks.

            “Ah yes, that. Your implant is much stronger. Not only has it come from the source as opposed to a third party transmission, but you have a much stronger dosage to accommodate some of your lack of knowledge.”

            “Lack of knowledge?” How comical. He was offended by such a simple fact.

            “Well, for one, you needed to understand Hands. Unfortunately for me, if I’m going to view the world through someone else they need similar understandings of fonts that I do, or else I can’t read my own work. It’s an odd attribute to a project like this, but it’s certainly easy to work around. I didn’t have this problem with Sans since he had already understood Hands, so his transplant was much weaker.”

            “Wait… So are you looking at what I’m looking at then? Through my eyes?”

            “I can, but I currently am not. I’m allowed a certain range of view within the walls that you are in. If I wanted to look at something closely, I’d need to use your eyes. That is where the fonts issue comes to play.”

            “That is also why you felt you needed to control my body… So you can move me to look at anything and grab for anything you wanted.”

            “Ah, it’s all coming together for you, isn’t it?” I chuckle, deciding to go to my subject’s point of view, “Tell me, did you feel that?”

            “No…? What did you do?”

            “I switched views, like I said. I can see from your eyes now. It used to bother Sans, so I figured you would feel that. I’ll have to file that away…”

            Junior was silent for some time, eyes glancing around the room quickly. I suppose he is trying to either make me dizzy, or make me question what he was doing. After a moment, he just closed them. I was left to just the pitched black view of the void.

            “Okay… Why are you keeping your eyes closed?”

            “I’m just thinking… You’re already a part of my soul… So if I don’t work with you, would you just consume me?”

            Well, this is amusing. He’s already giving in? He must have another motive, “Certainly. Does this mean you are willing to work with me?”

            “I… Yes, but I want to know what your plan is. I have an idea that I would like to do as well, but I have to see how this is going to work out.” He took a seat on one of his many stools.

            I let my cane form into a chair, sitting back into it and forming some tea for myself. This was going to be a long, detailed explanation.

 

* * *

 

 

_I stood at the top of the Core, one of my most precious inventions, to think. I have decided that I will end my work here in a few months. I’ve gotten Sans to finally be that of a true skeleton. Well, he has some extra skills and he is incredibly weak, but I have managed to make him capable to live on his own. He knows of almost all of my research at this point. He is fully capable of continuing where I’ll leave off. However, he cannot use his own bones for the project like I have. Papyrus must catch up before I can end my work. He is strong and capable of healing properly enough to use pieces from him. He may even be better able to reform any missing pieces. He hopefully won’t have these holes I have in my own palms._

_I might just be dust before I get to see the skeleton population grow, and most certainly will be dust before I could ever see the surface again, but just the thought of what could come from my successes is enough to bring some semblance of peace to my soul._

_“Gaster?” Came the timid voice of the very subject I was worried about._

_I jumped, turning towards my son. He has grown taller than his weaker counterpart, but he is only a few inches shorter than me. I speculate that he might actually surpass my height in due time. However, he should not be out of the lab, let alone out in the open! The Core was especially dangerous for him. He is still rather clumsy._

_“Papyrus, what are you doing up here?! What did I tell you about leaving the lab! Did Sans let you out? Sans I swear to Asgore I am going t—“ I was walking past my son to find the other one when a tight squeeze around my wrist kept me in place. Papyrus was strong, but he would never just grab me like that._

_Papyrus was crying, head hanging low and grip staying firm, “Dad… Please… Can’t I just stay out here a little longer? You only ever let Sans out of the lab. I want to see the underground, too.”_

_I felt my soul beginning to grow darker. I have to throw away my emotions whenever I am with my sons, knowing too well that Papyrus’s body was not yet ready to brave the world. He needed to retain some balance with his own powers before I could truly give him a tour of the area. I’m most certainly going to need to head to Grillby’s after this._

_“We are going back to the lab. I don’t want you to get hurt while you’re here. How the hell did you even get here? How did you know I’d be here? I’ve never told you about this place!” I spoke stern, using my son’s grip and clumsiness against him to pull him to me. Papyrus fell right into my arms with a small, surprised gasp._

_“You know Sans isn’t the only one who can read! You also talk with him like I can’t hear you! I eventually found out where you would usually go!” Papyrus wiped away some of his tears, scowling at me as he got to his feet._

_“You really are being surprisingly stubborn. You’re not usually like this.” I sigh, ready to start pulling him with me. However, we were interrupted by the frantic yelling of the older brother._

_“Papyrus! Papyrus where are you! oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! Papyrus, please! where did you…” Sans stopped when he saw us together._

_I pulled Papyrus with me, walking to the shorter skeleton. “What were you doing that was so important that you didn’t keep an eye on your brother?!”_

_“D-D-D-Dr. Gaster, i-i didn’t think Papyrus would run out like that! he never does! It doesn’t matter right now! we all ne_ — _!”_

_The smack of hollow bones against a thicker zygomatic rang in the air, “Doesn’t matter! Of course it matters!” I let Papyrus go, stepping closer to Sans._

_Papyrus stood by his brother, his bones rattling a little, “Dad! Please stop hurting Sans! It’s not hi—!”_

_“You are to refer to me as Dr. Gaster! You are just as much my subject as your brother is! You two are making me very angry! I suggest we start heading to the labs right now!” I grabbed both of their shoulders, pushing them around so they would start moving._

_“uh… yeah, bro. maybe we should just head back. we need to hurry, too. i was trying to tell the both of you that the Core’s readings are rising to dangerous levels and there isn’t enough ice flowing through the water to cool it down right now. if we are here when it shuts down we could get ourselves killed.”_

_“The Core? It doesn’t even feel like anything is off with its levels from here. We would be feeling the changes right now if it’s rising. You must have been reading it wrong.”_

_“…” Papyrus let out a growl, turning suddenly and shoving past me. I was thrown off my balance, grabbing onto some rails as Papyrus ran back to where we were before. Neither Sans nor I were prepared for the sprint. Sans and I both let out magic to use a blue attack, causing said magic to collide. Papyrus was lifted slightly into the air, only to fall as the dual blue attacks shattered._

_“Papyrus! Stop this instance!” I called out to him. I felt myself practically choke on air as he stumbled forward. Thankfully, he grabbed a hold on one of the rails, steadying himself._

_“No! I’m staying here! I came all this way without getting hurt! I know I can stay here!” Papyrus’s eye glowed blue as he threw up a wall of bones in attempt to block us. Each bone was flashing between the colors blue, white, and orange. He could never seem to control that magic of his._

_Perhaps Sans couldn’t run through, but I sure as hell could. I let each of those blue bones hit me, hugging Papyrus around his ribcage in attempt to pull him off the pole. He held a tight grip at first, but he was certainly slipping the more I persisted. Sans was about to run through the opening I had made, but he suddenly stopped._

_“What the fuck are you doing just standing there?! Just help me!” I growled out to him. Sans could be so useless sometimes._

_“Dr. Gaster! you have to stop! i can feel it! the Core is about t—!” Sans fell over as all of the machinery in the Core came to a halt._

_The area around us began to shake as each and every laser in the center of the core shut down one by one. Papyrus lost his grip, and I wasn’t ready to hold both of us up. I continued to stumble back, my son’s flailing not helping much. We were inching closer and closer to the open center of the Core, and I couldn’t let Papyrus fall in with me. I used my own specialized indigo attack to push Papyrus away from me, in turn throwing myself back further. It was meant for when I needed to jump away from sudden explosions or dangerous machinery as opposed to a single body, but I had to take the risk. Rather than falling in from the edge, I fell directly through the center. Papyrus was still fumbling to get his own balance, falling in a moment later. I used my indigo attack once more, pushing both of us further apart in hopes that Sans could get to his brother in time._

_He did. Sans’s blue attack rang through the air, grabbing a hold of Papyrus’s soul and bringing him up. Sans only had enough skill to grab one soul at this moment. I had to get back up myself. However, it was at that moment that Core began to reset. When the Core is on, no magic could be put out from monsters inside the center. This meant that anyone was as good as dead. I watched my sons in the distance. Sans’s blue attack gave out, Papyrus falling once again. Why was the Core rebooting so quickly? It should only short out once and be manually turned one._

_I watched as Papyrus’s body was consumed by one of the orange lasers. He was as good as dead. At least, that’s what would be assumed. The core was rippling in and out of power, the lasers turning off again. Oddly enough, my son’s body was engulfed in its own orange glow. I soon lost sight of him as one laser after another began to shoot out. They were shooting out faster than I was falling, and I eventually felt my body consumed by my own creation. My soul was pierced by a purple laser. I fully expected my body to quickly disintegrate, but I felt something within my soul reacting to the laser. It began changing in ways I couldn’t see, my soul felt like it was melting as opposed to cracking. Oddly enough, I didn’t even feel any pain. My body felt like it was falling apart, yet trying to get back together. Then it hit me. I was receiving an artificial determination surge. The Core shouldn’t have been able to do that, but then again its main power was always considerably unstable._

_The lasers gave back out again, one by one. It kept fluctuating like this, Papyrus and I both repeatedly hit by these lasers. However, Papyrus was only hit by the same one as I continued to fall. Sans kept trying to use his magic it seems, the upper half of the core going out long enough for him to keep attempting to grab at his younger brother. My vision kept coming and going, sometimes consumed by an almost blinding light while other times having a more distant view of my sons. Papyrus was eventually saved, sliding out of my sight._

_I just kept falling, each surge of lasers helping to hold me up for a moment in time. At moments when I could see, I tried to find myself. My body was morphing in such a way that I wasn’t sure if I could ever survive this. I could see my soul, once a solid, royal blue now a dripping, dark purple. I wonder if Papyrus would live through this. What if his soul was also changing color? What would this do to my project?_

_I continued falling, my body managing to have fallen passed where the lasers were. It was the only light I could see in the distance, the hole at the top of the core seemingly closed at this distance. I wasn’t even sure if I was bone anymore. Was I just dust? Was I just determination? My magic still wasn’t working… Would it work if I lived? Would I even live? Shouldn’t I have hit the ground by now?_

_I kept falling…_

_And kept falling…_

_And falling…_

_Forever…_

_…_

* * *

 

 

            “You know… This soul suppression doesn’t quite feel right… I don’t think I could really hold it as long as you want me to. I’ve never been good at controlling my soul.” My subject grumbled, sitting in the center of his bedroom.

            “Yet you managed to control it enough to speak to me. You just don’t try hard enough when you’re not particularly interested. You know, you’re much lazier than you originally seemed.” I smirked, watching as his flames started moving a bit higher. Like father like son I suppose.

            “I am not lazy. It’s just something I’ve never done before.”

            “No, you’re lazy. You get determined enough when you want something, and then you suddenly can do almost anything. If you truly are Grillby’s son, you’d be able to do it without an issue.” This seemed to urge Junior on, his soul beginning to slow down.

            “Good. You’re getting there. If you can hold that for long enough, you can start with phase one of our plan. Just remember to keep that determination up. If you want to get to your part of the plan, we have to finish my part. I don’t need you slacking on the job.” I twined my fingers under my chin, legs crossed as I waited patiently.

            We went on like this for a while between each reset and Junior’s work. It was much harder to train someone like this, but we had to work with what we got. Eventually, I felt he was ready to take the first step. I gave my subject his destination, which lead behind my sons’ home. Junior’s eyes were flicking around everyone, seeming nervous.

            “Look, just stick those pins into the lock and walk right in. You said this isn’t your first time doing something like this. Keep standing there and there might not be any snow left under your feet.”

            “I know… I just worry that Sans or Papyrus could come home at any moment. I know they are working, but they can be rather spontaneous.” Junior sighed, finally dropping down to the lock and getting to work.

            In a matter of seconds, the door was unlocked. It lead into a small room. There was a large, rectangular box in the corner that was covered in a cloth. I was curious what it could be, but that wasn’t the goal of this mission. I instructed Junior to look through the drawers to find my notebooks. I know Sans took them from my lab. There was a good amount of time I did get to watch him before he shut me out after all. I saw him take my notes back home with him. I was surprised he never destroyed them. He just left them in this room.

            “Stop. Those are the notes I’m looking for.” I informed Junior, who took the box out of the drawer. He counted each of them, coming up to a total of thirty book.

            “Didn’t you say there should be about forty of them? They aren’t all here…” He flipped through the pages, “And not all of these are completely filled out.”

            “Yes… That’s because those particular notebooks were about my sons and several failed projects. The completed books are about the Core. I need those just as much as I need my other projects… No, I need them more than the others. Just keep looking through the drawers. I’m sure we can find them.”

            Junior went through every drawer in the room, but seemed to only be able to uncover three more. I was beginning to get frustrated! I had counted with Sans as I watched him put the books away. ALL of them were brought back here… Unless…

            “We have to get into the house. He must have them in his room.” I proclaimed. My son was crafty with his privacy, so I wasn’t so sure how well sneaking in would work. He may be able to know when someone has entered his room for all we know.

            “What? Right now? I don’t think we should do that. It’s bad enough we are back here in his lab.” Junior gripped at the books, eyes flickering to the door.

            “… You’re right. We should bring these notebooks back for now. I doubt he has been here for a long time since it’s a little too clean. I’m certain he won’t even noticed that the notebooks are missing. Just keep that suppression going long enough so no one can notice you on the way back.”

            He stood there for a second, just staring at the door. Before I could ask him what the holdup was, he suddenly sprinted out. He let the door close behind him, running off to home.

 “Damn it! Slow down! You didn’t even lock the door! What if Sans notices!” I growled out.

“You said he hasn’t been there for a long time, so maybe he won’t notice. I just want to get out fast before he or his brother would arrive home.” He whispered as he ran, just loud enough for me to hear.

“This soul suppression is going to go to waste if you’re going to just run like that! Sure, the monsters in Snowdin won’t notice your magical presence, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely invisible. They can also hear your footsteps, I’m sure.”

It didn’t take long until my subject made it to his home again, scurrying into his bedroom. He shoved the box of books under his bed, flopping down. I changed views, now looking around as if I was standing next to him. I could feel his soul’s magic flowing freely now. His hands covered his eyes, his breathing a bit quick as he tried to calm down.

“I… Can’t believe I just did that… It feels so wrong.”

“Stop whining. You said it wasn’t your first time trying to steal from someone.” I huffed, beyond annoyed by such a clumsy display.

“I know I did! I use to do it with a couple of friends, but I never stole from someone who I was somewhat close to. I would have never done that to Sans. Even if these notebooks aren’t of value to anyone else, Sans and Papyrus don’t have much. Just taking anything feels wrong.” He kicked off his wet shoes, rolling over on the bed. His soul was tired.

“Consider it as payment for some of the food on his tab.” I folded my arms over my chest. If I had eyes, I would have rolled them at this point, “Now stop being a child. I’m going to need you to start reading some of those notes. It’s been a while since I’ve looked at them so I don’t know which exactly are to be more relevant than the others. I need to know of at least a bit of their contents. We will figure out what to do about the rest at another time. We WILL get into his room.” I closed my eyes, fingers on my temporal bones. This is going to be a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Just a reminder to let me know if I should add any tags to the story. I also would love some comments and would gladly answer questions where I can!
> 
> Boy, I wasn't quite sure where I was going with writing in Gaster's POV. Surprisingly, he has been the easiest to write about. I just couldn't figure out his speech for a bit. I hope you guys liked the change in POV here.


	5. In Too Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grillby POV

          I honestly can’t tell which reset I am in anymore. Gaster has taught me a lot about how the resets worked. Some were true resets, which meant the whole world was starting from the beginning of when the human fell…That was a brand new timeline. Some were much smaller, where the human has died and just chooses to go back before that event. How that was done, and how that was determined was questionable. Even Gaster wasn’t completely sure of the science or magic behind it. Now that I have the ability to remember everything after resets, I can practically feel it happening. Sometimes I’ll just walk around, and suddenly find myself back at the same point before. When the resets were more erratic, certain customers would end up repeating the exact same few lines over and over again. Was I really like that before? Stagnant and saying the same thing four or five times without realizing? I don’t know how to feel about that.

            This new world view was so damn depressing. As far as we knew, no one remembered anything except for Sans and me… Sans suffered through this for so long and I could only imagine what it must feel like to be so alone. I still had Gaster who spoke to me, helping me to keep up with the work I had. Supposedly he didn’t feel the resets in the same way that I have. He said all he ever feels is that he is falling, which I couldn’t understand.

            “I thought Sans was supposed to be here by now!” Gaster yelled in my head, having been rather agitated as of late. He was definitely losing his patience.

            “He was… I don’t know what he has been doing lately, but he hasn’t been here. It must have to do something with the human.” I spoke low, pulling the fries out of the fryer. I refuse to let Gaster have full access to my mind, so the best way to communicate is by actually speaking. That was… Well… It certainly was inconvenient when out in public. I didn’t want people to think I was going crazy since it looked like I was talking to myself.

            “Maybe we should try breaking into the house like I said the first time! How sure are you that Sans would willingly invite you into his house if you’ve never been inside before?”

            “I… We just have to wait and see.” I carried the tray of fries out the kitchen, successfully ending this line of dialog. Not being able to speak with Gaster all the time did have its perks. When I didn’t want to talk I just had to walk anywhere there is another person who can hear me.

A part of me was glad Sans hasn’t been coming to the bar as of recent. I’ve read so much about how the bone brothers were made, their progress, their skills… practically everything about them. The content of all those notes on top of every reset only made life even more depressing. The only thing that didn’t seem to quite right was anything to do with Papyrus. He just seemed so different and part of me wondered if he could remember, too? Though some of what Gaster has done to Sans was never done to Papyrus, so perhaps it’s something else?

            “… I think I might have another idea if Sans doesn’t get here by the end of the lunch hour. We’ll talk about this later.” Gaster left that final message, off to do whatever it was he does.

            I’ve been closing early for lunch every so often. Since I’ve been reliving just about the same day or two of my life over and over, it’s easy to do this without people worrying. Sans would be worrying had he been coming to the bar, but I am just going to assume that he has been busy. The time felt like it was both going quickly and going slowly, and there were not enough glasses in the world to polish when I felt this anxious. The clock did eventually hit noon, and I locked up the bar once all the patrons were gone. I made sure the windows were covered as well.

            “Gaster?” I called out, starting to clean up the tables and the rest of the bar.

            “So he hasn’t arrived… I was thinking that while we have the chance we should go to the house and see Papyrus. This is one of the timelines where he might not have died, and he’s easy to get past.” Gaster seemed pretty confident about the idea.

            “What am I going to tell Papyrus when I see him?”

            “Trust me, he will come up with the idea on his own. He is always assuming, which means we just have to roll with the ideas he comes up with when it benefits us.”

 

* * *

 

 

            “GRILLBY? WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?” Papyrus’s usual, loud tone rang out the door and probably throughout the entire town of Snowdin. I rubbed the side of my head where my ears would be, feeling tingles running through my head.

            “Hello Papyrus. I was hoping that Sans might be home?” I was slightly nervous. I knew of Papyrus since I was younger, but I had never actually talked to him before. He was rather shy back then so he was usually just hiding behind his brother. Of course, there was always parts of him that literally could have not been covered by Sans…

            “I’M SORRY TO SAY THAT SANS ISN’T ACTUALLY HOME. HAVE YOU TWO PLANNED TO MEET? MY BROTHER IS ALMOST ALWAYS LATE. HE IS PROBABLY SLEEPING AT HIS POST!” Papyrus seemed a little annoyed by the idea, but was quick to change his mood. He was quite the character.

            “Oh, actually I just c—“

            “WAIT! DON’T TELL ME THIS IS WHAT I THINK THIS IS!” Papyrus cut me off, seeming to be beaming with excitement, “HAS HE FINALLY ASKED YOU ON A DATE? I CAN’T BELIEVE SANS HASN’T TOLD ME! AND HE IS LATE! HOW DISGRACEFUL! PLEASE, COME IN!”

            I was surprised by how sudden Papyrus truly came to conclusions. However, I was more surprised that his conclusion was that Sans asked me to a date. Was Sans going to seriously ask me on a date at some point? I could hear a faint chuckle from Gaster as he encouraged me to go along with it. There was no way I was going to roll with this idea. As nice as the prospect of a date sounds, Sans hasn’t asked and I wouldn’t want him feeling awkward about it.

“Actually, Papyrus, I—“

            “I AM SO HAPPY HE HAS FINALLY ASKED YOU ON THAT DATE. I’VE BEEN TELLING HIM FOR THE LONGEST TIME TO JUST DO IT ALREADY, BUT HE NEVER LISTEN TO ME. HE LIKED YOU FOR A VERY LONG TIME, GRILLBY.” Papyrus chuckled, sitting down on the couch and patting the spot next to him. I followed, feeling my own cheeks begin to grow a little hotter. This was certainly news to me.

            “I… I was never aware of that, but that’s n—”

            “REALLY? I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS SO OBVIOUS! I GUESS BROTHER KNOWS BEST!” Papyrus laughed, which sounded odd with his nasal tone. Something like a ‘Nyeheheh’.

            “HE LIKED YOU SINCE WE WERE YOUNGER. YOU WERE THE FIRST MONSTER WE MET THAT ACTUALLY HELPED US, AFTER ALL. THANK YOU, BY THE WAY. SANS AND I ALWAYS HAD A HARD TIME TRYING TO GET FOOD BACK THEN. THINGS GOT BETTER WHEN WE MOVED HERE THOUGH, AND I’M SURE SANS LIKED IT EVEN MORE WHEN YOU MOVED THE BAR HERE!”

            This was kind of embarrassing. I wouldn’t have guessed Sans had liked me like that. He did show his appreciation from time to time, but I’ve never noticed anything like love. Well, at least I pushed aside any hopeful thoughts like that. Supposedly that’s just Papyrus jumping to conclusions again? Gaster did say he was quick to assume, and Papyrus was already assuming this might be a date. Though, a date would be nice.

            “You’re very welcome, Papyrus. I’m glad to have been of help to you two. However, I’m sorry to say that I’m not actually here for a date…”

            Papyrus threw his hands over his large teeth, his eye sockets wide and his cheekbones colored with a soft ora— wait… orange? Why is he not blue? “OH NO! I THOUGHT… BUT… OH NO! SANS IS GOING TO BE SO UPSET WITH ME! I JUST THOUGHT THAT SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT IT THIS MORNING HE WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT!”

            Despite the slight muffle to his usually loud voice, Papyrus was easy to understand. I couldn’t hear Gaster’s occasional rambling in the back of my mind, which I’m just going to assume means he is also taking note of the orange shade of magic, “Its fine, Papyrus. We don’t have to tell him that you slipped his secret. He hasn’t been to the bar at all today, so I’m sure he probably hasn’t planned to say anything anyways.”

            “HE HASN’T BEEN AT THE BAR? WELL THAT’S A FIRST. I GUESS HE MUST ACTUALLY BE WORKING TODAY. I KNOW JUST WHAT TO DO!” Papyrus jumped off the couch, arm up as he snapped his fingers. It didn’t really make a snapping sound since his gloves were too thick, but the gesture was easy to understand.

            “I WILL MAKE MY BROTHER’S FAVORITE FOOD! SPAGHETTI!!” Papyrus grinned down at me, walking towards to the kitchen, “YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY FOR DINNER, GRILLBY! CONSIDER IT AS THANKS FOR HELPING US ALL THOSE TIMES BEFORE! WE OWE YOU A LOT OF MEALS!”

            “Oh, thank you. I didn’t know you cooked. I’d love to try it.” I made my way over to the kitchen, watching the lanky skeleton scurry around for supplies.

            “I LOVE TO COOK! I REMEMBER THE DAY YOU BROUGHT US PASTA FROM YOUR FATHER’S RESTAURANT! I PERSONALLY LIKE THE SPAGHETTI BETTER, BUT I DID LOVE THE FLAVOR OF THE SAUSE. I TRY TO RECREATE IT WHEN I CAN, BUT IT NEVER DID QUITE COME OUT THE SAME.”

            “I can show you how to make it, if you like? I cooked most of the food back then, and I still remember the recipe. Sometimes I still make it for my daughter.”

            “DAUGHTER?! I DIDN’T KNOW YOU HAD A DAUGHTER! HOW OLD IS SHE?”

            “Fuku is nine, but she acts much older than I do some days.” I chuckled to myself, reminiscing. It was much easier to do that with Gaster so quiet, albeit a little creepy with how long he has been gone, “My wife… well, girlfriend at the time, had been pregnant with her right around the time I met you and your brother.”

            “WOWIE! HOW IS YOUR WIFE? I DON’T RECALL EVER MEETING HER BEFORE.” He beamed, already getting to work on chopping some fresh ingredients.

            “Oh… That’s because she is not here anymore…” I gave him a moment, hoping he would realize what this meant.

            “…GRILLBY… I’M SO SORRY…” Papyrus’s entire demeanor dropped and he practically looked like a sad puppy. I felt bad for killing the mood.

            “It’s fine. It was years ago since it happen. I’ve adjusted since then.” I smiled, patting Papyrus on the shoulder, “How about we get to cooking! My offer is still open.”

            “OH YES! I WOULD LOVE LEARN HOW YOU MAKE THE SAUSE!” He grinned, his mood changing rather quickly. It was adorable.

 

* * *

 

 

            _“And that’s the last of it. Are you definitely sure you don’t have anything else you may have missed?”_

_“No, that should be all of the boxes. You can send the trucks out to Snowdin if you’d like. I’m sure you all must be very hot here. I’ll meet you there soon.” With a handshake and a wave, I sent the truckers off. I sighed, walking back into the house only to hear the cries from the baby’s room._

_“There, there, Fuku. Daddy is here.” I cooed to her, lifting her in my arms. She had just woken from her nap. Being in that carriage was probably not the most comfortable place to be, but it made due for the moment since all the furniture was now gone._

_Unlike most fire elementals, her tears actually created deep streaks across her face. I suppose that’s one of the downfalls from being part water elemental. I tried to wipe them away the best I could with her blanket. Eventually she calmed down, staring up at me and clutching on my black vest. Those beautiful white eyes sparkled with the remnants of tears. They were just like her mom’s, but a tad smaller in proportion._

_I kissed her on the top of her head, sitting on the floor for now as I held her close. I couldn’t help feeling my own emotions bubble up to the surface, eyes scanning the yellow walls and white silhouettes stuck to them. A part of me still couldn’t understand how all of this was reality. I was actually moving out from Hotlands, which I never thought I would do. I had no one here for me, and my daughter deserved more of my attention. I needed a new start in a new place, away from all of these bad memories._

_I wonder if Sans will be there. He moved there several months ago, but what if he never got the house? He could be anywhere at this point. I hope he would be there, though. I’d love for him to meet Fuku, and at least there will be someone I know there. I could probably use some help raising my daughter as well. I won’t be starting work for some time, and I can only spend so much of my savings._

_Fuku’s hand touched my chin, taking me out of my thoughts. She cooed at me, tapping my face more. I lifted a finger for her to grab onto. She played with it curiously, even trying to nibble at it. I laughed, fluttering more kisses across her face. If only her mother could have been her with us… Kaiya… She never even got to hold Fuku because of her flames, and now she will never get to do so…_

_I stood, placing the baby back into the carriage. I had to stop thinking about this… What has happen is in the past… It’s not like being here would be all that safe for Fuku anyways. My brother is still out there… Plotting…_

_I strolled out the house with Fuku, looking back one more time before finally making my way through Hotlands. I just had to catch a ride with the River Person and I’ll be in Snowdin in no time. I tried to keep my eyes forward, but I couldn’t help looking at everyone’s faces. Whether they once looked at me fondly for being the friendly bartender or looked at me in disgust for my inter-elemental relationship didn’t seem to matter today. They just gave me looks of pity, knowing full well what happen._

_I stopped once more, looking across the street to what once was my father’s restaurant and bar… Now charred down to bits. There was still some dust in the air that I could feel burning out against my flames. Monsters all around were trying to move the pieces of the building out from the plot. One of the workers spotted me just as I began to walk down the sidewalk again, calling out and running to me._

_“Grillby! Hey!” The burly dragon-like creature waved to me, holding out his other hand. His bracelet twinkled with the light of my flames._

_“I found this and thought that you might want to keep it. I’m sure you have plenty of memories of her, but this looked more important.”_

_In his hand, covered in soot and dust, was a ring. The ring I placed on her finger the day I proposed to her. We never got to get another set of rings when we finalized our marriage, so she decided to always wear her engagement ring. I took it from his hand, wiping some of the ash off to see the beautiful yellow gem on it… Yellow was her favorite color. I thanked the man, whom patted my shoulder and hurried back to work._

_I hurried off, shoving the ring into my chest pocket. I needed to just get out of here fast. I was too emotional for this. I just wanted to have a moment of peace, even if that moment is surrounded by water on a boat. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, and eventually found myself at the boarder of Waterfall and Hotlands. Great… The port, where the River Person stops at, is a bit further back. I really didn’t want to walk back again… I suppose I’ll just have to pay the movers a bit extra for their wait._

_I sighed, walking with the carriage into Waterfall, the heat of Hotlands diminishing quickly into a cool mist. Fuku started cooing again, seeming to like the new area. She hasn’t been anywhere outside of Hotlands, and she is technically still in her element, so to speak. I smiled at her, watching as her white eyes practically sparkled now._

_I wasn’t paying proper attention to what was in front of me, so I didn’t expect the sudden pair of large, fiery hands to grab the carriage. I jumped, looking up in a panic. I was face to face with the last person I would have ever wanted to see. The face of horrific torture and death… the face of…_

_“Now brother, you should know better than to not check where you’re going. You never know if you’re about to fall into water… or worse… What might happen to your precious daughter.” With a swift move, the carriage was flung straight into the lake beside us._

* * *

 

            Heavy panting filled the room as a single string of magic connected my mouth to his teeth. My flames began to come back a bit stronger now that the assault of blue magic against my lips was over and broke the string. I stared right at his slightly fuzzy eye lights, an odd shine running over his eyes sockets as if an invisible pair of eyes became glossy. I moved one of my hands from his hips to his cheekbone, running over the blue flush. The room was much brighter than what I was used to since my sunglasses had been tossed away a long time ago.

            “Sans… You’re gorgeous, you know that?” I smiled up at him, trying to hold back a chuckle as he nuzzled his face into my hand and shifted his eye lights to the side. One thing I learned since we started meeting like this was that Sans took more of a liking to compliment than I originally thought.

            I thud my head gently against the wall, wrapping my other arm around his rib cage to bring him closer to me. He was oddly cuddly with such a fluffy jacket on. It almost makes me forget there was actually just bones under there. His skull rests under my chin as I stared at the wall across from his bed. My eyes scan the room slowly until I reach his drawer. A feeling of dread and guilt began to build in my soul as I remembered the original goal.

            How many resets have gone by since this began? Gaster begged me to take advantage of Sans’s love for me to get into his room. I didn’t want to do anything like that. I didn’t want to just try to get in his room by playing him out. Yet, I did. It’s not like I didn’t love him… I just didn’t feel right knowing that all of this was just a part of a plan. I’d prefer these moments to be more natural.

            Gaster was right in his assumption that Sans brought the notebooks of the Core into his bedroom. The first drawer I looked in the first time I was alone in here held all of the missing information we needed. I did also see more than I probably should have seen in those drawers, and I felt bad for invading such privacy.

            I couldn’t do this in every time line in fear that Sans would catch on to the fact that I was remembering more than I should be. I just try to let the days flow on their own, tried to make sure to remember to repeat my words when I feel a minor reset coming, and even tried to make sure Sans initiated any intimate moments. He seemed to have become much bolder after doing this once before…

            I left my train of thought cut short as the now familiar screech of the peeved younger skeleton rang through the home. Sans sighed, pushing off of me, “looks like Paps found out i wasn’t at my station. i guess that’s my cue to get back to work.”

            “Would you like me to wait for you here? We can cuddle some more, and I can even stay the night. Fuku is sleeping over a friend’s house tonight.”

            “… If you want to. I could use the heat to help me sleep.” He smirked at me, climbing off the bed and slipping on his socks and slippers.

            “Like you ever needed help getting to sleep.” I chuckled, laying down on the bed. Sans laid a gentle skeleton kiss to my lips once more before walking out of the room.

            I listened to the two brothers as they bickered, Papyrus scolding Sans for being late to work. The consistant puns made me laugh, but soon the home was silent as the brothers left the building. I gave it a few minutes before finally sitting up.

            “Gaster. He’s gone.”

            “Finally. Why must you do this every time with him? The last thing I need to see is the both of you getting heated. I’m actually glad Sans isn’t interested in taking this further.” Gaster grumbled. Sure, he could keep from watching and hearing everything, but that doesn’t mean it’s instant. The first time around he complained that he couldn’t get away from his view quick enough.

            “Yes, I do. I did it the first time and you were the one who said Sans couldn’t be allowed to know about us working together or that I remember any of these timelines. I have to basically be just about the same every time.”

            Gaster continued to complain as I dug through the notebooks. Which one was I reading the last time? I looked through all of the scribbles and doodles in the notebooks until I finally found the book and page I was on. Gaster quit his monologue to narrate everything I was reading. I occasionally asked questions about the Core, trying to grasp the amount of work that was put into this. Gaster truly was an amazing scientist. I was never told exactly what happen to him, but it certainly was a tragedy that he is in his current predicament. The fact that so many people forgot who he was, despite creating such a necessity to our lives in the underground, baffled me. Then again, most of my memories of him was because of my father and not because of his work.

            “Artificial determination?!” I pointed at a doodle of a cannon. It was surrounded by comments about how to reinforce it and how to keep it flowing without the need to recharge. It was hard to tell which methods were eventually used.

            “Yes, these laser canons shoot a constant volume of artificial determination that I managed to find the working chemical combinations for. It runs on several different forms of determination, pink being the purest form I’ve managed to make. I never could quite get to the human’s levels of red.”

            “How has the Core managed to stay solid all of this time? Shouldn’t that much determination melt the steel like it does to a monster’s body?” I asked, sitting back down on the bed as I looked through more of the doodles.

            “Well, that was the concern, but we needed something to power the underground and it was worth the risk. It has had its fair share of meltdowns as you can tell. When night falls quicker than it should and the electricity flickers, then the Core had a probelm. However, with enough flowing ice it has managed to stay in one piece.” Gaster paused for a moment, before his chuckling rumbled through my thoughts, “You know, that material must be the equivalent to whatever you’re made of. You do manage to hold in more determination than you should be capable of when you try hard enough. If you can do that without your flames diminishing, your soul exploding, or your body melting in some way, then it’s no surprise the Core has managed to stay as stable as it is.”

            “I supposed you’re right…” I sigh, flipping through more of the pages.

            I eventually finished through the notebook. There was one more left, but I wanted to clarify a few things before I continued. I laid back once again on the bed and closed my eyes.

            “So you want to recreate those cannons for the barrier… How do you expect me to do such an in depth project? With all the resets happening my progress could be completely lost… Plus, the labs are no longer yours. They belong to the new royal scientist… Alphys, correct?”

            “I’m certain you can get Alphys’s help. She worked alongside me long enough to learn enough Hands to get by. I’m sure that if you were to go in with the ability to read more, she’d know I’m with you. She wouldn’t quite know how, but she would know I’m there. She was my prodigy and I’m certain she is still trying to continue my work today. We just need to go speak with her before Sans can find out about it. If he does, he may try to hinder our plans and potentially even rip us from being the potential Alpha timeline. This would all be for nothing, and you’ll never get your encounter with the human again.”

            “… Well, you’re the one with the plan in mind. I’m not sure how to talk to her, so I suppose I’ll just follow your lead. If it can bring me closer to ending the human, then I’ll go through with this.” We both fell quiet for a moment, and then I got back up to grab the next book.

            “By the way, Gaster, how do you plan to get me to override the human’s d—!” I froze as I heard the door suddenly slam open. I could turn around quick enough to see Sans. I heard and felt my soul ping blue. My body slammed into the ceiling, then the floor, and then the wall. I yelled out in pain, my eyes squeezed shut as I tried to gather myself. Gaster was freaking out in the back of my mind, making it hard to think.

            “how long…” Sans practically growled. He was so quiet on his feet all of a sudden. When had he gotten home? Why was he home so early?

            “S-Sans? Please, I do—“

            “how long have you been working with Gaster?!” I open my eyes to see one of his own eye lights flaring in blue. The flames were similar to mine, but thinner.

            I clawed my hands against the wall, trying to get some baring. Gaster was yelling at me to fight him until I could flee, but that hold on my soul was almost too much to handle. I didn’t want to fight him anyway, especially knowing what he was capable of. I found myself panting, just trying to keep my soul within me instead of allowing Sans to pull it out. I didn’t want him to see it.

            “damn it, Grillby! answer me!” He yelled, throwing my body down onto the floor. I yelled out again. I felt a bit dizzier since my head hit the ground.

            “I… I haven’t been with him that long… At least, I don’t think I have…”

            “… i fucking knew it. i shouldn’t have let you up here. i shouldn’t have let you in my fucking home. i thought i could trust you, Grillby. i thought you actually cared. i’m an idiot for thinking anyone other than my brother could.” Sans hung his head, his voice growing darker.

            That hurt. I cared for him so much. I loved him, even. I can’t expect him to believe me now, though. I could feel tears welling into my eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Sans. I’m just trying to help. Please, just hear m—“ I was lifted once more and slammed into another wall.

            “shut up! i don’t need to hear your bullshit. if you’re working with Gaster then you must remember everything, huh? i had a feeling you did. you seemed more and more experienced with me with every reset. you’ve been acting more out of character than ever before. i knew i did something wrong, but i didn’t expect it to be all that bad. if you’re working with him… i did one of the worst thing I could have done. Gaster doesn’t deserve to try anything, good or bad. i can’t even try to kill you. killing you won’t change much. you’ll still remember everything.”

            Sans began to laugh, pain evident in his eyes, “i could only imagine how long you’ve been planning this. you’ve always been there to listen to me, but the more you changed the more you started to talk. you started to come to me instead of waiting for me to go to you, but you would never be the one to ask me on a date… all of this pretending… you’re disgusting.”

            I felt my soul swell. Guilt, self-loathing, pain, hate, disappointment, and sadness mixed around within me. Yet, there was something that I’ve never felt before. As if something was trying to pull me into my soul. I felt a sudden tug on my soul from Sans.

            “let me see your soul. i want to see the damage Gaster has done to you.” He kept tugging, but I refuse to let him see it. I didn’t even like looking at it myself. I didn’t need the added reminder that I may not fully have control of my own soul.

            After a moment, Sans finally let go. I fell from the wall and onto the ground as the blue on my soul went away. I grabbed at my chest, panting and trying to get my bearings once again. Sans had his back to me, head hung low and hands stuffed into his pockets again. Gaster had gone quiet, so the room became filled with the eerie silence. I didn’t want to move in fear of what was going to happen next. Despite the loss of blue magic around my soul, I still felt that pressure continuing to build. It wasn’t painful, surprisingly enough. I knew it definitely wasn’t a swelling from determination or magic.

            Suddenly, I began to fall. My vision was becoming distant. It was like a screen of sorts, framed by a pitch blackness. I wasn’t sure what was happening… I just knew I felt like I just kept falling. I heard my own voice chuckle, my own lips move, but I wasn’t in control anymore. Sans turned around, his facial expression contorting from anger to confusion to surprise.

            “You’re a disgrace, Sans. No son of mine should be so weak as to let love blind him so easily. Though, I suppose it’s no surprise coming from you. You were always so weak to praise.” My voice came off raspy, contorting and changing to something much, much deeper. Then, it hit me. Gaster and I have just switched places!

            “G-Grillby? no… Gaster… how?” Sans’s eye light flared to blue once again.

            “Let’s just say I learned a thing or two from observing the human’s blood thirsty counterpart.” Gaster, with my body, got up to tower over Sans, “Now, Sans, if you’re not willing to listen to my subject, then you better be willing to listen to me. I didn’t want you to know about this, but now that you do I have no other choice… I’m prepared to strike up a deal with you.”

            “i said i’m not working with you! not after what you did to Papyrus.”

            “Oh yeah? And what if I could figure out a way to fix him? What if I can find a way to break the barrier and give him the life he deserved without interference from the human? You know for a fact that I have only begun trying to fix this horrid world that I should have prepared for years ago.”

            Sans scowled, facing away once again. “i hate you… I don’t want to hear you crap. you better stay as far away from my brother and me as you can.”

            Gaster, in my body, stepped towards Sans. My right arm wrapped around San’s chest while my left hand came up to cover San’s blue eye. Another chuckle rumbled to the surface, my voice now replaced by Gaster’s as he took over. My flames even began to change color. They became almost as black as my pants yet somehow continued to bring a purple glow to the room.  “I’ll start from the beginning…”

            All I could do was watch. I tried to call out for them, but I was either not heard or completely ignored. There was only one thing that I was certain of…

            I just kept falling…

            And kept falling…

            And falling…

            …

            Will I ever stop falling?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy oh boy... Midterms really have a way with hindering one's life. I'm just glad to be back to writing! I had way too many ideas running through my mind. I might do a series of side stories whenever I'm done with this main story so I could express some of the many ideas I have. 
> 
> Let me know what you think about the story thus far! I hope you all didn't mind the wait! I'll try to write a couple of chapters in before my week break from classes is over. However, quality is always better than quantity or speed so we'll just have to see how this goes.


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